PSA: So your Amazon wish list may be public

[nevets88]

I've been registered w/Amazon for ages and did not realize my wish list was public until recently. My birthday was also listed as well. Stupid me must have filled it out before becoming more security aware. And paranoid. Luckily, there are dozens of people with my name, so protected by the old security by obscurity. You may want to make sure your wishlist (unless you want it to be) is private, or shared w/family and friends. Guessing I must have been super profiled by marketing companies that figured out the wish list belonged to me - if that's possible.

Interesting going through the wish lists of your namesakes. Found some interesting products and added some to my now private wish list. Never knew attachable bidets are a thing.

[RandallT]

Thanks! We have one for each of our kids, and they were all private. However, we had 2 lists set to Public- both empty and both called something generic like "New Wish List" or "Wish List (0)." Probably mistakes by someone, so I deleted them. Good info. I never knew lists were shareable- makes sense now that I think about it.

[David in FL]

I don't understand.  Why would you care if someone could view your wish list?

[iacas]

2 minutes ago, David in FL said:

I don't understand.  Why would you care if someone could view your wish list?

Some people use it for themselves, and it shows the things they need, or are interested in buying.

[nevets88]

6 minutes ago, David in FL said:

I don't understand.  Why would you care if someone could view your wish list?

Marketing profilers. What if you thought it was private and you had nothing but sex toys and hate literature on it and it's actually public?

Or you have certain types of health related stuff on it and some marketer is looking for pre-existing health conditions to sell to insurers?

[RandallT]

10 hours ago, David in FL said:

I don't understand.  Why would you care if someone could view your wish list?

You've never seen my wish list 

But yah, I hear you, not the most egregious privacy thing ever, but I'm on Amazon a fair amount, and that feature had slipped my notice.

[Dave2512]

My list is private but figured I'd check. It was time to do some cleaning 72 saved items dating back to 2011.

[dennyjones]

The problem, most of our stuff in the wish lists have been something we have researched and Google has our search history.    I agree I don't want my lists public.    thanks for making me more aware.