Key points
- Amazon prohibits content that invades other people’s privacy or discloses personal data, such as phone numbers, email addresses, mailing addresses, license plate numbers or order numbers.
- This also applies to photos in reviews, for example a shipping label showing a name and address.
- Such reviews can be reported via “Report abuse,” ideally with a precise note on where the data appears.
What Amazon’s guidelines say
Under Amazon’s Community Guidelines, content must not invade other people’s privacy or disclose personal data. Amazon gives phone numbers, email addresses, mailing addresses, license plate numbers and order numbers as examples. This applies to other people’s data as well as to the reviewer’s own data.
For sellers, this is a clear reason to report a review. It does not matter whether the criticism in the review is justified: if it contains such data, it violates the guidelines.
Typical cases
- Employee names: for example, “Mr. Becker from customer service lied.”
- The owner’s details: name and place of residence, often combined with a personal attack.
- Contact details: phone numbers or email addresses, for example taken from a message to the buyer.
- Order numbers and receipts: photos of invoices or of messages showing order details.
- Photos with personal data: a photo of the package in which the name and address on the shipping label are legible.
The rights of the people affected
Regardless of Amazon’s rules, data protection law protects people whose data appears in a review, such as your employees or you yourself as the owner. The people affected can demand that their data be deleted. The platform then has to weigh the interest in the statement against the protection of the person concerned. In addition, anyone who is attacked by name may have their personality rights violated.
Data protection law does not protect companies themselves. The name of your limited company in a review is not a violation in itself. This may be different for sole proprietors whose business name is their own name. The law firm checks this case by case.
How to report such reviews
- Capture: Take a screenshot of the review and, if it includes photos, of the image as well. Do not pass the data on, and do not mention it publicly anywhere.
- Report: Use “Report abuse” below the review and state which personal data appears where, for example “mentions the full name of an employee” or “the photo shows a shipping label with an address.”
- Follow up: Check after a few days whether the review is still visible.
If the review is also insulting or contains false accusations against the person named, a removal request on legal grounds may be an option. Read more in our guide Insults and abusive criticism.
How AMZDelete helps
AMZDelete detects email addresses and phone numbers in reviews and flags them as “Personal data.” You can point out names or photos containing personal data when you place your order. Our partner law firm checks the case and reports it to Amazon through the appropriate channel. You only pay if the review is removed afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
Can a review mention my company’s name?
Yes. A company name is not personal information within the meaning of the guidelines. However, if the review only rates the seller instead of the product, it may be impermissible for that reason.
What about photos?
The same applies as for text: if a photo shows personal data, such as a shipping label with a name and address, it violates the guidelines. Report it and point out the data shown in it.
Can my employee take action themselves?
Yes. Anyone who is named in a review can contact Amazon directly and demand that their data be deleted. It is often simpler, though, if you as the seller report the guideline violation.
This guide gives a general overview and does not replace a legal review of your individual case. At AMZDelete, our partner law firm checks whether a review can be challenged.