They had an ill-fated attempt to leap into the web browser business with Silk in 2001, but there are clear signs Amazon are looking to make a bigger return, if a survey they recently sent out is anything to go by.

The survey sent to Amazon users asks questions such as what would “convince you to download and try” a “new desktop/laptop browser from Amazon”.

If that wasn’t enough of a hint, it went on to say, “We want to understand what our customers value about current web browsers, and what they wish browsers could do better.

“By participating in this survey, you will contribute to innovations that improve browsing experiences for millions of people around the world.”

The last question on the survey is, Imagine that there is a new desktop/laptop browser from Amazon available to do. Select which of the following you would most like to know more about.” They then named topics such as privacy, shopping and synching passwords across devices.

The survey also asked users to rate the importance of features such as text to speech, and blocking third-party cookies.

If Amazon do launch their own browser, this would impact the advertising business, who are already gearing up for a change, as Google edges towards getting rid of third-party cookies, killing one of the primary ways businesses track consumers for ads.

Amazon got $38 billion from ads in 2022. That’s more than it earnt through Prime and other subscription services combined.

What’s appealing to marketers about Amazon is the data they sit on regarding what punters purchase and their shopping habits. If Amazon could then match that information with a data collection from a web browser, the mass retailer would clearly land an upper hand in a very lucrative game.