{"id":352672,"date":"2016-04-04T10:42:05","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T15:42:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/consumer\/online-scams\/privacy-and-online-shopping.html"},"modified":"2024-04-25T10:26:11","modified_gmt":"2024-04-25T15:26:11","slug":"privacy-and-online-shopping","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/consumer\/online-scams\/privacy-and-online-shopping.html","title":{"rendered":"Privacy and Online Shopping"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Privacy and Online Shopping<\/h1>\n
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\n By Hannah Hilst<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Melissa Bender, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

In some ways, online shopping might give you more privacy than in-store shopping. People are less likely to see what you buy and spend. Yet, the overall privacy risks are much higher online.<\/p>\r\n

Shopping online leaves a digital footprint. Hackers, scammers, and even legitimate companies may want to follow this data trail. Countless prying eyes may want to see your shopping history or passwords.<\/p>\r\n

Very few things in life are truly private anymore. But you can better control your privacy by understanding how your data could become exposed in the first place. You can also learn about your consumer protection rights after an online shopping scam<\/a> or data breach.<\/p>\r\n

How Do Cookies and Tracking Affect Online Shopping?<\/h2>\r\n

Online merchants use technology to improve your shopping experience. The easier it is for you to find relevant products and pay online<\/a>, the more sales the business can make. But the efficiency trade-off means the seller intrudes on your privacy in some ways.<\/p>\r\n

When you return to a website where you may have done business in the past, even just to browse, it often remembers your last session. It uses "cookies," or pieces of code left on your computer’s browser, that track your shopping and other habits.<\/p>\r\n

Online retailers may use different categories of cookies for purposes such as:<\/p>\r\n