You can reduce the information online stores collect by declining optional tracking, limiting app and browser permissions, and sharing only what checkout requires. You cannot make a purchase fully anonymous: a retailer still sees activity needed to process your order, and private browsing does not hide your session from websites.
Know what online stores and apps can track
Shopping sites and apps may use cookies, pixels, device fingerprinting and advertising identifiers. Some tools support practical functions such as keeping a cart or remembering preferences; others measure activity, personalize offers or support advertising. Third parties may also track activity across sites. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) explains these collection methods in its consumer guidance on how websites and apps collect and use information.
That means privacy controls involve trade-offs. Blocking every cookie, for example, may interfere with a cart or other site functions, while allowing optional advertising cookies may enable more tracking than you want. A browser or device setting can limit some collection, but the controls available and their effect vary.
Adjust privacy before and during checkout
Choose cookie categories deliberately
When a site presents a cookie banner or preference center, review the categories rather than automatically accepting all of them. Decline optional advertising or personalization categories if you do not want those uses. Keep necessary functions enabled if the site needs them to maintain your cart or complete checkout.
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Cookie banners and category labels differ from site to site. A choice to decline optional cookies is a useful limit, not a promise that no data will be collected: the retailer may still need information to provide the service, and other tracking methods may be used.
Review browser and device settings
Look in your browser and device privacy settings for controls over cookies, tracking, location, browsing history and personalized ads. Menu names and available protections vary by browser, operating system and version; use the current settings on your own device rather than assuming one universal path. The FTC notes that browser and device controls differ.
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On a shopping app, review both the app’s account settings and the device permissions it requests. Turn off access, such as location, when it is not needed for the app’s function. You can also clear cookies or browsing history when useful. A separate browser profile for shopping can help keep some activity apart from your everyday browsing, but it does not block all tracking or prevent a retailer from associating activity with an account or order.
Use tracker-blocking extensions with realistic expectations
Some ad blockers can block pixels or trackers, according to the FTC, but they may not block every advertisement or tracking method. They also do not detect or block malware. Review an extension’s permissions and publisher before installing it, and do not treat an extension as a substitute for cookie choices or careful account settings.
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Understand what private browsing does—and does not do
Private or incognito browsing can keep browsing history from being saved locally after the session ends, depending on the browser. It does not stop a website from seeing your activity while you visit, nor does it make a purchase anonymous. If you sign in, provide contact details or enter shipping and payment information, the retailer can associate that information with your order.
Share only what checkout needs
Before buying from an unfamiliar retailer, check what information checkout requires and read the retailer’s privacy notice to understand how it says it uses and shares information. Avoid providing optional details that are not needed for the purchase. A padlock or HTTPS connection indicates an encrypted connection; it does not establish that a retailer has privacy-friendly data practices.
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Payment choices do not erase the information a retailer needs to fulfill an order. Whatever method you use, the store generally needs enough details to process the transaction and deliver the goods or service. No single browser mode, extension or payment choice makes ordinary online shopping anonymous.
Separate account security from privacy
Use a unique password for each shopping account and enable multifactor authentication (MFA) when it is offered. A password manager can help create and store unique passwords; a compatible hardware security key may provide another sign-in factor. These measures help protect account access, but they do not stop the retailer’s analytics, advertising tracking or data sharing. The FTC’s online privacy and security resource page includes guidance on two-factor authentication.
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What is known about personalized prices
In January 2025, the FTC announced initial findings from an ongoing study of surveillance pricing. The agency said intermediaries examined in the study worked with at least 250 clients selling goods or services, including grocery and apparel retailers. That count describes clients of the intermediaries studied; it is not a count of retailers independently proven to use surveillance pricing, or a measure of how common the practice is across all retailers.
The FTC said intermediaries and retailers may use data such as location, browsing patterns and shopping activity—including abandoned carts—to tailor prices or promotions. Chair Lina M. Khan said, “Initial staff findings show that retailers frequently use people’s personal information to set targeted, tailored prices for goods and services—from a person’s location and demographics, down to their mouse movements on a webpage,” in the announcement. The FTC characterized its findings as initial, said the study was ongoing, and described examples as hypothetical. The announcement therefore does not establish that every retailer individualizes prices or that any particular shopper was charged more because of tracking. See the FTC’s January 2025 announcement.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
