Afraid of AI Shopping? Here’s How to Keep Your Data Safe While Using It

If you’ve used an online retailer lately, you’ve probably encountered AI tools: product recommendations that seem to know what you want, a chatbot that pops up to answer questions, or a visual search that lets you snap a photo of an item and find it for sale. These features can be convenient, but they also come with a price: your personal data.

A recent survey from eMarketer found that 74% of shoppers cite data privacy as their number one concern about AI-powered shopping. That’s a clear signal that people are uneasy about how their information is collected, shared, and used behind the scenes. The worry isn’t unfounded, but you don’t have to abandon AI shopping altogether. With a few practical steps, you can keep most of the convenience without giving up control over your data.

What Happened

The eMarketer survey, published in early May 2026, asked consumers about their attitudes toward AI in online shopping. Privacy fears topped the list by a wide margin, beating out concerns about accuracy, cost, or the quality of recommendations. Shoppers are increasingly aware that AI tools—such as personalized product suggestions, chatbots, visual search, and dynamic pricing—often require access to browsing history, purchase records, location data, and even voice or image inputs.

Retailers are deploying these tools rapidly, and many don’t explain clearly what data is being collected or who it’s shared with. The result is a growing gap between what consumers assume happens and what actually happens with their information.

Why It Matters

The risks go beyond just receiving a few eerily accurate ads. Excessive data collection can lead to unwanted profiling, where retailers build detailed dossiers on your lifestyle, income, and habits. That information may be shared with third-party data brokers or used to adjust prices based on what a system predicts you’re willing to pay. Some retailers also retain data indefinitely, increasing the potential damage if a breach occurs.

A lack of transparency is another problem. Many shoppers don’t realize that using a chatbot to ask about a product might store that conversation and link it to their account. Or that disabling cookies doesn’t stop a retailer from tracking you through other methods, like device fingerprinting.

The core issue is simple: AI tools work best when they have lots of data. That creates a strong incentive for retailers to collect as much as possible, often with only vague consent. For consumers, the challenge is to enjoy the benefits without handing over more than necessary.

What Readers Can Do

You don’t have to stop using AI shopping features, but you should treat them with the same caution you’d use for any online service that requests your data. Here are practical steps to reduce your exposure:

Use guest checkout whenever possible. Creating an account ties your purchase history to your email address and often your payment details. Guest checkout limits what a retailer can associate with you. If you do create an account, use a separate email address and avoid filling in optional fields like your birthday or phone number.

Disable personalization in your account settings. Most major retailers, including Amazon, Target, and Walmart, allow you to turn off personalized recommendations and ads. This usually stops the store from building a detailed profile based on your browsing and buying behavior. Look for options like “tailored ads” or “personalized content” in your privacy or account settings.

Review privacy policies, but don’t expect clarity. Privacy policies are often long and confusing, but you can search for key terms like “share with third parties” or “retention.” If a policy seems unusually vague about data sharing, consider that a red flag. Another shortcut: use the website’s privacy portal, which some retailers now offer to let you see and control what data they hold.

Use a dedicated payment method. A virtual credit card number or a one-time use card (from services like Privacy.com or your bank) protects your real payment details in case of a breach. This also prevents retailers from storing your primary card for future purchases.

Clear cookies and browser data regularly. AI shopping tools often rely on tracking cookies and local storage to monitor your activity across sessions. Clearing this data periodically resets some of the profile a retailer has built. You can also use your browser’s built-in privacy settings to block third-party cookies by default.

Opt out of data sharing on major retailers. Many retailers participate in data sharing networks for advertising and analytics. Check each site’s privacy settings for an option to opt out of “sale of personal information” (required in some states) or “targeted advertising.” On Amazon, you can adjust advertising preferences under “Interest-Based Ads.” On Target, go to your account’s “Privacy” section and disable “Personalized Offers & Ads.”

Be cautious with chatbots and visual search. These tools may capture your input—text, images, even voice—and store it for training or analysis. Avoid sharing sensitive information like your address or financial details through a chatbot. If possible, use these features without logging into your account.

Sources

The survey data referenced in this article comes from eMarketer’s report “Data privacy is shoppers’ biggest AI shopping fear, by far,” published May 2026. The full report can be found on the eMarketer website. Additional information about retailer privacy controls is based on publicly available settings pages and documentation from Amazon, Target, and Walmart as of May 2026.