There is an interesting aspect about Amazon (which can also be extrapolated to other online business services, but I am focusing on Amazon because it is the largest and reference in its sector) and that the underlying tool for your service is beyond your control. I mean, of course, the web browser, which in the case of mobile devices can (albeit with limitations) be replaced by custom applications, but which in the PC world is the gateway to your store.

This may seem like a small problem, but when you think about it, Amazon provides a large portion of the information that a web browser can generate in terms of habits and interests and more than likely converts them into potential purchases. The browser market is of course very complicated, but it is remarkable that except for Amazon SilkTargeted exclusively at own devices and very, very limited, the e-commerce giant didn’t even try.

However, as we can read in Gizmodo, that may have changed since then Amazon could be developing a new web browser based on artificial intelligence, according to a survey sent to some users. The company wants to know what customers appreciate about current browsers and what they wish were better. The survey asks about different features that could convince users to download and try «Amazon’s new desktop/laptop browser«. These include privacy, cross-device password sync and shopping functionality.

Amazon has neither confirmed nor denied the project This idea has important implications for the company’s advertising business.. Amazon is one of the biggest players in the online advertising market, thanks to the data it holds about consumers’ shopping habits. If you could combine this information with the data collection that comes from your web browser, you could tip the scales on the internet in your favor.

Amazon’s possible web browser would also arrive around the time The advertising sector is preparing for a catastrophic change in its interests, as Google moves closer to removing third-party cookies in Chrome, which would make one of the main ways it tracks consumers harder to serve them personalized advertising. This could undoubtedly be the main reason why Amazon is considering its own web browser.

However, there is something that could make it very difficult for Amazon if it finally decides to try it, and that is that users are already very aware of the importance of Privacy. Although Amazon asks this in the survey, common sense suggests that the survey could be compromised if the browser combined store account data with browsing data. Now we are talking about an absolute giant, so it is possible that it will be able to offer something interesting enough to interest users.