Provision record
Instacart · Instacart Privacy Policy · View original document ↗

Targeted Advertising and Cross-Context Behavioral Advertising

High severity Common · 279 of 352 platforms
Stay ahead of the changes
Track Instacart and get the diff the day its terms change.
Share 𝕏 Share in Share 🔒 PDF
Document Record

What it is

Instacart uses and shares your personal data with advertising partners to show you targeted ads based on your shopping behavior across different websites and apps, not just on Instacart itself.

This analysis describes what Instacart's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

The clause creates a structural requirement that Instacart maintain transparency about third-party data sharing practices by consolidating disclosure information in a designated policy section, enabling users to locate information about data flows and recipient categories.

Clause Stability Stable

0
Changes
4
Months Monitored
Apr 18, 2026
First Seen
Apr 18, 2026
Last Seen
This clause type exists across 3334 other provisions on other platforms.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Your grocery purchasing behavior on Instacart is used to target you with ads on third-party websites and apps, meaning your diet, household products, and purchasing patterns are shared with advertising networks beyond the Instacart platform.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.
  • Delete Your Data
    Go to Instacart's privacy page and select 'Your Privacy Choices' to opt out of cross-context behavioral advertising and data sharing with advertising partners.

How other platforms handle this

Lyft Medium

To grow the Lyft Platform and to share partner opportunities that are relevant to you, we use your personal information, including information we infer about you or receive from marketing parties, to provide Lyft and third party marketing, advertising, and promotions...

Microsoft Medium

We do not use what you say in email, chat, video calls or voice mail, or your documents, photos or other personal files, to target advertising to you.

MyFitnessPal Medium

We use your personal information to send you newsletters and other promotional communications, including information about MyFitnessPal's new offerings, features, offers, events, webinars, and other information.

See all platforms with this clause type →
▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
We describe our disclosures of Personal Information, including why and to whom we make them, below under "Information Disclosures."

Excerpt from Instacart's Privacy Policy

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (regulatory & governance intelligence)

(1) REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: Cross-context behavioral advertising is explicitly regulated under CPRA (Cal.

Insight

Unlock the full institutional analysis

Enforcement risk, jurisdiction flags, contract triggers, and due diligence action items.

Applicable agencies

  • Federal Trade Commission (ftc)
    Oversees unfair or deceptive business practices and can investigate companies that mislead consumers about data collection, sharing, or use.
    Who can file: Anyone affected by the company's practices (US or international)
    What you need: Your account details, a timeline of relevant events, and a description of the specific issue
    What to expect: Complaints inform FTC enforcement priorities and investigations but do not result in individual resolution or compensation
    File a complaint →
  • State Attorney General
    State AGs in California, New York, Texas, and other states can investigate violations of state consumer protection and privacy laws, including CCPA (California), SHIELD Act (New York), and equivalents.
    Who can file: Residents of states with comprehensive privacy laws — primarily California, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, and Utah
    What you need: Evidence of the violation, explanation of how your state rights were affected, and your account or contact information with the company
    What to expect: Outcomes vary by state. May result in investigation, enforcement action, or requirement for the company to change practices. No direct individual compensation in most cases.

    Search "[your state] attorney general consumer complaint" to find your state's direct complaint form

Applicable regulations

CCPA/CPRA
California, USA
CAN-SPAM
United States Federal
ePrivacy Directive
European Union
FTC Act Section 5
United States Federal
GDPR
European Union
TCPA
United States Federal

Provision details

Document information
Document
Instacart Privacy Policy
Entity
Instacart
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
April 18, 2026
Last verified
April 18, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-002839
Document ID
CA-D-00136
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
1820e1895d1605ebc16eff3b8fdeb7771e97e65214aedd6a6e598e4b96e3cb08
Analysis generated
April 18, 2026 10:07 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Instacart
Document: Instacart Privacy Policy
Record ID: CA-P-002839
Captured: 2026-04-18 10:07:50 UTC
SHA-256: 1820e1895d1605eb…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/instacart/instacart-privacy-policy/provision/CA-P-002839/targeted-advertising-and-cross-context-behavioral-advertising/
Accessed: Aug. 25, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
High
Categories

Other risks in this policy

Related Analysis

Get the research letter

Companies change their terms quietly. We read every version and catch what actually changed. One email a week on the changes that matter and what they mean.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Instacart's Targeted Advertising and Cross-Context Behavioral Advertising clause do?

The clause creates a structural requirement that Instacart maintain transparency about third-party data sharing practices by consolidating disclosure information in a designated policy section, enabling users to locate information about data flows and recipient categories.

How does this clause affect you?

Your grocery purchasing behavior on Instacart is used to target you with ads on third-party websites and apps, meaning your diet, household products, and purchasing patterns are shared with advertising networks beyond the Instacart platform.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 279 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Instacart?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Instacart.