11 votes

Requesting an export of personal data from Amazon shows how extensively they track your reading habits

Posted by asteroid
Tags: privacy, kindle, amazon, tracking, ebooks, technology, data.user, author.kari paul, source.the guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/feb/03/amazon-kindle-data-reading-tracking-privacy

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Title
'They know us better than we know ourselves': how Amazon tracked my last two years of reading
Authors
Kari Paul
Published
Feb 3 2020
Word count
980 words

7 comments

  1. mrbig
    Link
    I'm not saying that is either cool or okay, but Kindle books even tells you the most commonly highlighted excerpts. Besides: it is Amazon. What did we expect?

    I'm not saying that is either cool or okay, but Kindle books even tells you the most commonly highlighted excerpts. Besides: it is Amazon. What did we expect?

    7 votes
  2. [4]
    cutchyacokov
    Link
    My Kindle? That has never been updated or connected to the Internet? That I've never used to read a book purchased via Amazon? That I've only copied my own DRM-free ebooks from Project Gutenburg...

    My Kindle? That has never been updated or connected to the Internet? That I've never used to read a book purchased via Amazon? That I've only copied my own DRM-free ebooks from Project Gutenburg (and, um, elsewhere) onto? I don't know about anyone else but I bought mine to be a device that I can use to read ebooks. I did not buy it as part of a service to buy ebooks.

    3 votes
    1. mrbig
      Link Parent
      Do you update the OS offline somehow? Cause — even though I can't remember how it looked like years ago — I do see advantages in the latest changes.

      Do you update the OS offline somehow? Cause — even though I can't remember how it looked like years ago — I do see advantages in the latest changes.

      3 votes
    2. [2]
      0lpbm
      Link Parent
      If you're not using the device because of it's store integration, why didn't you chose a less intrusive one? Kobo makes pretty good readers.

      If you're not using the device because of it's store integration, why didn't you chose a less intrusive one? Kobo makes pretty good readers.

      1 vote
      1. cutchyacokov
        Link Parent
        Kindle was the only choice at the time.

        Kindle was the only choice at the time.

        2 votes
  3. [2]
    ffmike
    Link
    Out of all the data Amazon has about me, my reading habits are perhaps the least worrisome. Without digging too much, I would bet much of that data doesn't get sent if you turn off WhisperSync...

    Out of all the data Amazon has about me, my reading habits are perhaps the least worrisome. Without digging too much, I would bet much of that data doesn't get sent if you turn off WhisperSync (which you probably ought to do if you don't read on multiple Kindles; I find it convenient). But as an Amazon user for over 20 years, including long stints in rural America where it was the only reasonably practical way to get many things, I just assume they know more about me than my wife does.

    2 votes
    1. nothis
      Link Parent
      From the article: Wait, all of those are just as bad if not worse!

      From the article:

      I already understood Amazon tracks our purchases on its site, our activity across the web, our voice commands, our grocery shopping and our locations. But the extensive tracking of my reading habits – my most beloved and previously offline hobby – was jarring.

      Wait, all of those are just as bad if not worse!