Aravind Srinivas’s Perplexity AI faces lawsuit over sharing users’ data without consent; company responds (Times of India)
google meta perplexity
| Source: Mastodon | Original article
Perplexity AI, the search‑assistant startup founded by Aravind Srinivas, has been hit with a new class‑action lawsuit alleging that it shared users’ personal data with Google and Meta without obtaining consent. The complaint, filed in Utah on behalf of a “John Doe” and a broader class of users, says that trackers were embedded in the Perplexity website and that even the company’s “Incognito” mode failed to block the flow of browsing histories, device identifiers and location signals to the two tech giants. Bloomberg’s report, echoed by the Times of India, claims the data transfers occurred despite Perplexity’s public privacy promises.
The case builds on the “Incognito Mode is a sham” lawsuit we covered on 4 April 2026, which accused the same practice of violating user expectations. If the new filing is upheld, it could force Perplexity to overhaul its data‑handling architecture, pay damages, and face heightened scrutiny from regulators already probing AI‑driven platforms for privacy compliance. The allegations also raise questions about the broader ecosystem of AI search tools that rely on third‑party APIs and advertising networks, potentially reshaping how startups balance personalization with consent.
Perplexity’s legal team responded that the company “strictly adheres to applicable privacy laws” and that any data shared with partners is anonymized and essential for service performance. The firm said it will “vigorously defend against unfounded claims” while reviewing its telemetry practices.
What to watch next: the court’s scheduling order, which will set a deadline for Perplexity’s motion to dismiss; any parallel investigations by the FTC or EU data‑protection authorities; and whether the company rolls out a revised privacy framework or a truly opt‑out mode before the case proceeds to trial. The outcome could set a precedent for how AI‑enabled search services handle user data across the Nordics and beyond.
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