Amazon's 'About You' feature, which offers a glimpse into the data the retail giant collects on its users, has become a source of amusement and bewilderment. The feature, rolled out in May, has recently gained traction on social media as users share the often comically inaccurate or unexpectedly personal insights Amazon has generated about them.
One widely shared post on Threads highlighted Amazon's interpretation of a user's 'Product Preferences,' suggesting she had "flat buttocks." This was just one example of the unusual feedback users have encountered. Another user reported that Amazon's analysis indicated they "do not trust people easily," while a Reddit user discovered their profile stated they get "a tired gray cast from lack of sleep."
When investigated, the 'About You' feature for some users presented more mundane, yet still peculiar, observations. One user found their profile noted a preference for 'plant-based milk' and that they "systematically [replace] consumable household items." This led to a wider inquiry among colleagues, revealing further eccentricities in Amazon's data interpretation.
Navigating 'About You'
Accessing this feature on desktop involves hovering over 'Hello, [your name],' selecting 'Account,' navigating to 'Ordering and shopping preferences,' clicking 'Your Shopping preferences,' and then locating 'Manage your information.' On mobile, users can tap the menu icon, select 'Account,' then 'Shopping preferences,' and finally 'About you.'
News writer Josh shared that his 'About You' suggested he "favors classic and intellectual literature" and "reads extensively across literary genres," also noting he "strategically purchases books during major sales." However, the feature also claimed he "goes camping occasionally," a detail he disputed, stating his last camping trip was at age 11.
In another instance of peculiar data interpretation, comic artist Alec Robbins shared a screenshot where Amazon's 'About You' surmised, "Customer's name is Shingo" based on his purchase of several volumes of the manga 'My Name Is Shingo.'
Hardware writer Andy found his profile stated he "probably has microwave ovens," with the plural attributed to a past purchase of two units, one of which reportedly "blew up while making popcorn." Despite this, Amazon's feature could only ascertain that he "probably" owns a microwave.
These examples highlight the often amusing, and sometimes questionable, accuracy of Amazon's 'About You' feature in extrapolating user characteristics from their shopping data.