Amazon's use of consumer data, particularly in relation to grocery purchases and prescription drug sales, has raised concerns about privacy laws and protections. Suzanne Bernstein, a legal fellow at the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), highlighted the limitations of HIPAA, the federal law that protects health privacy. According to Bernstein, "HIPAA only applies to health care providers, insurers, and companies that manage medical records," which means it does not cover Amazon purchases.

"That background is especially important as Amazon and other companies continue to collect, process, and use tremendous amounts of consumer health data that falls outside of HIPAA scope," Bernstein said. "And it’s not the fault of American consumers for not necessarily knowing all that."

In response to the lack of federal protections, some states have enacted their own data privacy laws. California is well-known for providing its citizens with more control over their data. Meanwhile, Washington state made significant strides in health data privacy with its My Health My Data Act last year. This law broadly defines consumer health data to include any information about a consumer's past, present, or future health conditions.

Bernstein explained that this could mean Washington residents have some degree of privacy regarding their Amazon purchases if those indicate a health condition. However, it remains unclear how this law might apply specifically to Amazon, which is headquartered in Washington.