Perplexity AI Accused of Sharing Your Data with Meta

Perplexity AI Under Fire for Sharing Private Data

A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Perplexity AI, accusing the company of transmitting its users' conversations to Meta and Google through hidden advertising trackers. This practice reportedly began at the end of 2022 and even affects users who have activated private browsing mode. This mode is supposed to allow for the creation of anonymous discussion threads that are not recorded in history and expire after twenty-four hours.

The anonymous user, referred to as John Doe in the complaint, used Perplexity for sensitive tasks such as managing his taxes and evaluating investments, believing that his interactions would remain confidential. However, the 135-page complaint, filed in the federal court for the Northern District of California, claims that every message sent by John Doe was transmitted in real-time to Meta and Google, including personal information such as his email address and Facebook ID. Trackers such as Facebook's Meta Pixel, Google Ads, and Google DoubleClick have been identified in Perplexity's code.

An Incognito Mode That Doesn't Guarantee Anonymity

Perplexity offers its users a private browsing mode, but according to the complaint, this mode does not protect conversations from trackers. Users who thought they were safe saw their exchanges transmitted to Meta and Google, including their email addresses.

Meta recommends that its partners use its pixel in combination with its conversion API, as this method bypasses tracker blockers. Thus, even users who disable cookies or use ad-blocking extensions are not protected.

Jesse Dwyer, Perplexity's communications director, stated that the company had not been officially informed of the complaint and could not verify its existence. Google, for its part, indicated that partner companies must inform their users about data collection, while specifying that data sent to Google Analytics does not allow for individual identification by default.

User Trust Put to the Test

This case highlights the trust users place in AI to share personal information they would not dare disclose to humans. Studies mentioned in the complaint reveal that many people use these tools to discuss sensitive topics such as health, sexuality, or identity, precisely because there is no human interlocutor.

Perplexity even encourages users to share more by asking follow-up questions. If this data is shared with Meta and Google, it could be used for highly targeted advertising. For example, a user discussing cancer treatment could receive medical ads without having consented to this information sharing.

The class-action lawsuit concerns all individuals who used Perplexity between December 7, 2022, and February 4, 2026, excluding subscribers to the Pro and Max plans. These subscribers are excluded because John Doe never subscribed to these offers and therefore cannot represent them. If the court rules in favor of John Doe, each violation could result in damages exceeding $5,000, potentially affecting millions of conversations.