Amazon Wish Lists just got a lot more dangerous
When you’re getting married, having a baby, graduating from college or moving into a new home, people tend to shower you with gifts—or at least, you hope they will. That’s great, and while we hate to look a gift horse in the mouth, dear old Aunt Mildred probably has a different take on what makes a great gift than you do.
Enter the gift registry. Long before we all became hooked on online shopping, registries helped guide our more taste-challenged friends and relatives toward the gifts we really want. As technology and shopping habits evolved, Amazon Wish Lists filled that space, though their utility goes far beyond weddings and graduations. In fact, many people use them as personal, well, wish lists that can be shared with friends and others for more everyday occasions.
But now, there’s news that this popular service changed a major privacy setting—and it could expose your home address to complete strangers. Ahead, we talked to Aaron Engel, the chief information security officer at ExpressVPN, a global cybersecurity company, to find out more about the change and what you can do to protect yourself against unsavory characters. Read on to learn what’s happening with Amazon Wish Lists.
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What are Amazon Wish Lists?
Amazon Wish Lists are just what they sound like: Lists of things you really want!
You can use them as a formal registry or personalized shopping list, as an organizational tool or to keep tabs on items you’d like to buy later. Many users set up a Wish List or registry for people they know, such as a beloved colleague who’s about to retire, or to compile under-$20 options for the office Secret Santa gift exchange.
Others set up Wish Lists so that complete strangers can fulfill their wishes. For example, online influencers, Twitch streamers and even sex workers might have a list so their fans can purchase and send them gifts from afar. Charities, like homeless shelters and animal rescues, also compile wish lists so that generous donors can purchase items the charity will then use or distribute to needy recipients.
One reason these lists are so popular is that Amazon makes organizing easy. Lists are a snap to share, items are marked as purchased so you can avoid getting (or sending) duplicate items, and certain registries offer perks like group gifting, discounts and generous return policies.
What change did Amazon recently make to its Wish Lists?
Starting March 25, 2026, Amazon made a significant change to its Wish List feature by removing the option to restrict purchases to items sold only by Amazon. If you’ve bought anything on Amazon, you’ve probably noticed that some things are “sold by Amazon” while others are “fulfilled by Amazon” and sold by a third party. This change prevents you from keeping your list completely within Amazon.
For wish-list makers and buyers, you’ll have more options because it opens your list to a wider selection of products. Registering for third-party gifts means you can include more unique items, handcrafted goods (from platforms like Etsy) or other harder-to-find items. It’s also good news for sellers that aren’t part of Amazon, as they will have a bigger pool of people who will see their offerings.
But as Engel explains below, this change opens you up to more than just a wider variety of products. It’s actually a huge privacy risk—and this feature is on by default.
What makes this change so dangerous?
Engel says preventing a Wish List user from restricting purchases from third parties “increases the chances that someone buying from your list could gain access to delivery details connected to the shipment”—details like your address, which will no longer remain under the control of Amazon and could even be shared with people who buy things from your list. In an email sent to Wish List users, the company stated this outright.
Here’s why this is a problem, in plain terms: “Someone could purchase an item specifically to gain access to delivery information and potentially figure out where you live,” Engel says. “This is especially relevant for online creators, influencers or public figures who share Wish Lists with large audiences. In more extreme cases, the information could be used for harassment or doxxing, where someone deliberately tries to uncover and publish another person’s personal details.”
I contacted Amazon to verify the shift, and Maxine Tagay, an Amazon spokesperson, said it’s part of the shipping process: “If a customer has a public list and connects a delivery address to that list in their settings, gift purchasers may receive the recipient’s address through sellers and delivery partners fulfilling those orders, as delivery updates and tracking information are shared as part of the shipment process.”
Don’t like this? You have some options.
So what can you do?
The simplest step, for those who want to continue using Amazon Wish Lists, is to limit who can see your registry. “For people sharing Wish Lists privately with friends or family, the risk may feel relatively small—but it becomes more concerning when a Wish List is shared publicly or circulated online,” Engel says.
Engel says if you don’t need the gift registry to be public, change the settings so it’s private or only accessible through a direct link you share with trusted people. “Another option is to remove your address from your Wish List entirely and only share it directly when needed,” he says. “That way, if someone wants to send you a gift, they’ll need to contact you for your address, giving you control over who has your information.”
How to change your Wish List settings
Here’s how to change your Wish List settings, straight from Amazon:
- Log in to your Amazon account.
- Navigate to your Lists page.
- Click or tap the three dots in the upper right (…) of each list to manage list settings.
- Select “Manage list” and adjust your privacy setting to Private or Shared (not Public), to limit who has access.
- Alternatively, remove your shipping address entirely by tapping the “Shipping Address” field and selecting “None.” This keeps people from seeing your address automatically if your list is public.
What else can be done?
If you want to keep an address attached to a public Wish List, something many online creators may prefer, Engel says to consider using a P.O. Box rather than your home address. In fact, in the email sent to Amazon Wish List users, Amazon suggests this option, which is not going over well online. Not only do you have to pay for it, it’s less convenient to pick up gifts from a location outside your home. And while unlikely, a stranger could be there waiting for you too.
As an added layer of protection, Engel says to check the seller information when adding items to your list: “On the product page, look for the ‘Ships from’ and ‘Sold by’ sections, and if they both say Amazon, the shipping process typically stays within Amazon’s system and poses less of a risk.” One caveat: “However, it’s not recommended to rely on this, since third-party sellers can always start shipping their products directly later on,” Engel says. Another idea? “For added privacy, consider using initials instead of your full name in the shipping details,” he says.
Finally, there are other online retailers to consider, as well as platforms like Throne, which says it allows you to create a “privacy-first” wish list, which lets people send gifts without accessing your personal information.
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About the expert
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Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of articles on personal technology, arming readers with the knowledge to protect themselves against cybersecurity threats and internet scams as well as revealing the best tips, tricks and shortcuts for computers, cellphones, apps, texting, social media and more. For this piece, Marc Saltzman tapped his 30-plus years of experience as a technology journalist, the author of several books and the host of the syndicated Tech It Out radio show and podcast to ensure that all information is accurate and offers the best possible advice to readers. We rely on credentialed experts with personal experience and know-how as well as primary sources including tech companies, professional organizations and academic institutions. We verify all facts and data and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Aaron Engel, chief information security officer at ExpressVPN; interviewed, March 2026
- X: “Zach Bussey”
- Amazon: “Registry & Gifting”
- PCMag: “Got a Public Amazon Wishlist? Upcoming Change Could Reveal Your Address”
- Mashable: “Amazon Wish List changes its shipping policy — and some are worried”
- Reddit: “Amazon Wishlist/Gift List, r/SexWorkers”
- Throne: “Wishlist & Gifting Platform for Creators”
