Shoppers’ Biggest AI Shopping Fear? Data Privacy—Here’s How to Protect Yourself
Shopping with AI assistants—chatbots that recommend products, compare prices, or even complete purchases—has become more common in the past year. But a recent survey from eMarketer confirms what many privacy advocates have suspected: data privacy is shoppers’ top concern when using these tools, and by a wide margin.
If you’ve ever hesitated before telling an AI assistant your budget, your size, or your delivery address, you’re not alone. The convenience of AI shopping tools comes with trade-offs, and understanding those trade-offs is the first step to keeping your data safe.
What happened
eMarketer surveyed U.S. consumers who have used AI shopping tools and found that data privacy ranked as the biggest fear, far ahead of other worries like accuracy or cost. The survey didn’t specify exact percentages in the publicly available summary, but the headline finding is clear: people are more concerned about how their personal information is collected, stored, and used than about any other aspect of AI shopping.
This aligns with broader trends. A 2025 Pew Research Center study, for instance, found that 67% of U.S. adults feel they have little control over the data companies collect about them. The rise of generative AI tools—especially those embedded in retail sites, browser extensions, and standalone shopping apps—has only amplified those concerns.
Why it matters
AI shopping tools often work by gathering large amounts of data: past purchases, browsing history, location, device information, and even conversation transcripts when you chat with a bot. This data can be used to personalize recommendations, but it can also be sold to advertisers, shared with third parties, or used to build detailed profiles about you.
The lack of transparency is a key problem. Many AI assistants don’t clearly explain what data they collect, how long they keep it, or whether you can request deletion. Some tools are built by companies that have faced past privacy controversies. Others are offered by smaller startups with limited privacy infrastructure.
For the average shopper, the risk isn’t just annoyance from targeted ads. It’s the possibility that sensitive information—like your home address, payment details, or shopping habits for items you’d rather keep private—could be exposed in a data breach or used in ways you never agreed to.
What readers can do
You don’t have to give up AI shopping entirely to protect your data. A few practical steps can reduce your exposure without sacrificing convenience.
Read the privacy policy—or at least the summary. Before using a new AI shopping tool, check its privacy policy. Look for language about data sharing with “affiliates” or “third parties,” data retention periods, and whether you have the right to delete your data. If the policy is vague or missing, consider that a red flag.
Use guest checkout when possible. If an AI tool prompts you to create an account or sign in via Google or Facebook, skip it if you can. Guest checkout limits the amount of data linked to your identity. For one-off purchases, this is often enough.
Review and limit permissions. Many AI shopping browser extensions or apps request access to your browsing history, clipboard, location, or even your camera and microphone. Grant only the minimum permissions needed for the tool to function. On a smartphone, you can check app permissions in your device settings.
Opt out of data sharing where offered. Some AI shopping tools include a “do not sell my personal information” option (required in some jurisdictions). Look for it in account settings or preferences. Even if you’re not in a region with strong data privacy laws, it’s worth enabling if the option exists.
Use a separate email address or payment method. For AI shopping assistants you don’t fully trust, consider using a dedicated email address (e.g., via a free service you don’t normally use) or a virtual credit card number. That way, if your data is compromised, the damage is limited.
Don’t share sensitive details in chat. AI chatbots often log your conversations. Avoid sharing your full Social Security number, complete home address, or any other highly sensitive information directly in a chat window. If a purchase requires that info, it should be entered through a secure checkout form, not via conversation.
Use a privacy-focused browser or extension. Some browsers (like Firefox) and extensions (like Privacy Badger or uBlock Origin) can block tracking scripts that AI shopping tools sometimes rely on. This adds an extra layer of protection.
Sources
- eMarketer. (2026, May 5). Data privacy is shoppers’ biggest AI shopping fear, by far. News article summary
- Pew Research Center. (2025). Americans and data privacy. [Study findings]
These steps won’t make you invisible, but they will reduce the likelihood that an AI shopping tool will misuse your data. As the technology evolves, staying informed and questioning what each tool asks for is the best way to shop smart—without giving away more than you intend.