RE: https:// techhub.social/@rayckeith/1163 38182555614323 # Perplexity 's “Incognito” mode
google meta perplexity privacy
| Source: Mastodon | Original article
Perplexity AI’s newly marketed “Incognito” mode has come under fire after independent analysis revealed that the feature still funnels user chats, email addresses and device identifiers to Meta and Google. The investigation, sparked by a thread on the tech‑social platform TechHub, traced API calls from Perplexity’s backend to advertising and analytics endpoints owned by the two tech giants, even when the user had toggled the privacy switch.
Perplexity promoted the mode as a safeguard against data harvesting, positioning it as a differentiator in a crowded generative‑AI market where privacy claims are increasingly weaponised. The findings undermine that narrative, showing that the service’s “privacy‑by‑design” promise is largely cosmetic. By relaying content to Meta’s Audience Network and Google’s ad‑tech stack, Perplexity not only violates user expectations but also skirts the obligations of the EU’s Digital Services Act and GDPR, which demand transparent handling of personal data.
The episode matters because it highlights a broader pattern: AI front‑ends often outsource moderation, analytics and personalization to third‑party ecosystems, blurring the line between “private” and “public” interactions. As browsers such as Chrome have already admitted that their own Incognito mode does not block tracking, Perplexity’s mis‑labeling could trigger regulatory scrutiny and erode consumer confidence in AI‑driven search assistants.
What to watch next: Perplexity is expected to issue a clarification or patch that either disables the external calls or provides a truly isolated processing pipeline. EU data‑protection authorities may launch a formal inquiry, especially if complaints surge from privacy‑focused NGOs. Meanwhile, competitors like Anthropic and Claude are likely to amplify their own privacy guarantees, turning the controversy into a market differentiator. Users should monitor Perplexity’s policy updates and consider alternative tools that offer verifiable data isolation.
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