Amazon knows what you buy, when you sleep, what you eat, and whether you’re home. That’s before Alexa. Amazon collects more behavioral data than almost any company on the planet — and most of the settings that limit that collection are buried several menus deep.
DO / DON’T
DO:
- Clean up old credit cards from your account regularly
- Use Two-Factor Authentication — Amazon holds your most sensitive financial information
- Update your Amazon password frequently
DON’T:
- Link any other accounts to your Amazon account — it limits what outsiders can find about your interests and daily patterns
- Fall for scams on Amazon or from emails claiming to be from Amazon — these are rampant
- Buy from international third-party sellers without caution — higher risk for identity theft and scams
Login & Security
Path: Your Account > Login & Security
- Review all login information for accuracy
- Enable Two-Step Verification (2SV): Select Edit → Get Started → follow prompts
- Amazon retains credit cards and addresses — 2SV is not optional here
Alexa Privacy
Path: Your Account > Digital Services and Device Support > Manage Content & Devices > Privacy Settings > Manage Settings (under Amazon Devices Privacy)
⚠ WARNING: Alexa is always listening for a wake word. Every sound detected is logged.
- Review Saved Wi-Fi Passwords — remove any you don’t want Amazon to retain
- Revisit periodically for any new settings
Alexa Voice History
Path: Manage Content & Devices > Privacy Settings > Alexa Privacy > Review Voice History
- Every sound detected by Alexa is logged here, including all commands
- Periodically clear your history: select time frame → “Delete Detected Sounds History”
- Also check: “Review History of Detected Sounds” — you can hear what Alexa captured
Alexa Data Management
Path: Alexa Privacy > Manage Your Alexa Data
- Smart Home Device History: Set to “3 months” (lowest available — auto-deletes older history)
- Can also run “One-time deletion of history”
- Voice Recording and Typed Requests: Enable “Don’t save recordings and typed requests to Alexa” — also deletes previous recordings
Alexa Skill Permissions & Ad Preferences
Path: Alexa Privacy > Manage Skill Permissions
- Ensure no skills have permission to access Alexa data
- Scroll to Interest-Based Ads: Turn OFF
- “Reset Your Advertising IDs” — recommended
Amazon Drive
Path: Your Account > Digital content and Devices > Manage Amazon Drive and Photos > Profile picture > Settings
- “Use your Alexa Contacts”: Turn OFF — prevents Alexa from accessing your contacts
- Review “Add Uploads to Family Vault” section
- Review “Manage Third-Party Apps” section
Your Public Profile
Path: Your Account > Community Content (under Ordering and shopping preferences) OR Your Profiles icon
- Select Edit your profile → review all information in “Profile page settings”
- Your public name: Do NOT display your full name
- Disable “shows reviews to the public”
- Disable “Allow customers to follow you”
Browsing History
Path: Top menu bar > Your Browsing History > Cog icon (right side) > More settings
- Disable Browsing History from here
Wish Lists
Path: Your Account > Your Lists
A Wish List can reveal a great deal about you and your household: the number of people, their ages and genders, names, and interests. That’s a profile.
- Set each list to Private
- Do NOT authorize Alexa access to your Lists
- Once a Wish List or registry has served its purpose: delete it
Registries
Path: Your Account > Your Lists > select a Registry > Settings
- Set “Who can see your registry” to “Shared” or “Private”
- If Public: ensure it is NOT being shared on third-party sites (TheBump, TheKnot) unless that’s intentional
Audible Settings (if applicable)
Path: Your Account > Digital content and devices > Audible Settings > Profile & Preferences
- Set “Allow other Audible members to see my location on Audible” to OFF
- Review registered devices — deregister any you don’t recognize
Parental Controls (Prime Video)
Path: Your Account > Prime Video Settings > Parental Controls
- Set Prime Video PINs and Viewing Restrictions by age rating
Advertising Preferences
Path: Your Account > Communication and Content > Advertising Preferences
- Review and adjust interest-based ad settings
Communication Preferences
Path: Your Account > Communication Preferences
- Review and disable unwanted email marketing — select Update to save
Amazon Household / Teens Program
Path: Your Account > Shopping programs and Rentals > Amazon Household or Teens Program
- Create separate profiles for teens with purchase approval controls
- Add children under 12 to manage content on Fire TV and other Amazon devices
Understanding Amazon Seller Labels
- “Ships from” and “Sold by” [seller]: Third-party seller ships directly to you — Amazon doesn’t touch the transaction. Not Prime eligible. This is where scammers operate more easily.
- “Sold by” [seller] and “Fulfilled by” Amazon: Third party sends inventory to Amazon warehouse, Amazon ships to you. Can be Prime eligible but still a third-party product.
Enable Two-Step Verification first. Then go delete your Alexa voice history and turn off the data collection settings. Those are the highest-impact actions on this page.