The "About You" function, found under account settings at the e-commerce retailer Amazon, has gained significant traction on various social platforms in a short period of time. This is reported by, among others, The Verge and The Next Web.
The service was launched in May with the aim of creating more personalized product recommendations. To achieve this, algorithms analyze customers' purchase history, searches, saved lists, reviews, and chats with the Alexa for Shopping voice assistant.
Flat Buttocks and No Friends
What has garnered attention is the level of detail that the algorithms present. Several customers have discovered that Amazon has drawn specific and unexpected conclusions about them. The system has noted, for example, that some users "have a flat butt," have a partner with "thin legs," or "cannot keep plants alive."
Other examples shared are the algorithms' conclusions that the customer "treats cats like biological children," "lacks friends," or "reads Kindle books on their mobile phone in the shower." Although the majority of the profiling is said to be more mundane, such as the user drinking coffee or playing video games, some conclusions have been completely incorrect, for example, by guessing the wrong name of a user's partner.
Gives Customers Insight
The page is designed to give customers insight into the information Amazon bases its recommendations on. Users can review the list themselves and have the opportunity to edit or delete the points they do not want to affect future product recommendations.