Perplexity Browser Tracking: CEO Reveals Plans to Monitor All User Activity for Ad Targeting

In a candid revelation that’s raising eyebrows across the tech industry, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas has confirmed ambitious Perplexity browser tracking plans that will monitor virtually everything users do online. The AI search company’s upcoming browser, named Comet, is being designed specifically to collect comprehensive data on users’ web activities to fuel hyper-personalized advertising, mirroring Google’s controversial but lucrative business model.

Perplexity Browser Tracking: Monitoring All User Web Activity

During an appearance on the TBPN podcast this week, Srinivas made remarkably transparent statements about the company’s Perplexity browser tracking intentions. “That’s kind of one of the other reasons we wanted to build a browser, is we want to get data even outside the app to better understand you,” he stated, confirming that the browser would be designed specifically to collect user data beyond the company’s own AI search application.

The upcoming Perplexity browser tracking capabilities will extend far beyond the company’s current data collection methods. While Perplexity’s AI search service already gathers information from user queries, the browser represents a significant expansion of surveillance scope, enabling the company to monitor users across the entire web. This comprehensive tracking approach mirrors tactics used by established tech giants that have faced increasing regulatory scrutiny over privacy concerns.

Beyond Work Queries: Building Complete User Profiles

Srinivas explained that the Perplexity browser tracking initiative stems from limitations in the company’s current user profiling capabilities. He noted that many prompts entered into Perplexity’s AI are “purely work-related” and don’t provide sufficient personal information to build comprehensive user profiles for targeted advertising.

To address this limitation, the Perplexity browser tracking system will monitor users’ shopping habits, travel planning, restaurant choices, and general browsing behavior. “On the other hand, what are the things you’re buying; which hotels are you going [to]; which restaurants are you going to; what are you spending time browsing, tells us so much more about you,” Srinivas elaborated, clearly outlining the extensive scope of personal data the company intends to collect.

This comprehensive surveillance approach will enable Perplexity to construct detailed user profiles that extend far beyond search queries. The company plans to leverage this extensive data to deliver highly targeted advertising through its discover feed, potentially creating a new revenue stream that could significantly boost the AI company’s monetization capabilities.

The Comet Browser Launch and Development Timeline

The vehicle for Perplexity’s data collection ambitions, a browser named Comet, has faced development challenges but remains on track for a May release, according to Srinivas. The Perplexity browser tracking capabilities will be baked into this product from launch, positioning it as both a browsing tool and a comprehensive data collection platform.

While specific technical details about Comet remain limited, the browser appears designed primarily to advance Perplexity’s advertising ambitions rather than offering revolutionary browsing features. By developing its own browser rather than relying on extensions or partnerships with existing browsers, Perplexity gains direct access to user browsing data without intermediaries or potential blocking mechanisms.

Mobile Strategy and Partnerships with Smartphone Manufacturers

Perplexity’s data collection ambitions extend beyond desktop browsing to mobile devices. The company announced a partnership with Motorola on Thursday, which will preinstall the Perplexity app on Razr series smartphones and integrate it with Moto AI through the command “Ask Perplexity.” This integration represents another avenue for Perplexity browser tracking and data collection across platforms.

Beyond Motorola, Bloomberg reported that Perplexity is in talks with Samsung for similar integrations. While Srinivas didn’t explicitly confirm these negotiations, he referenced the Bloomberg article discussing both partnerships during the podcast interview. These mobile partnerships would significantly extend the reach of Perplexity’s data collection network, potentially allowing for cross-device tracking of user behavior.

The mobile strategy mirrors Google’s approach with Android, which has provided Google with extensive user data across both desktop and mobile environments. By securing preinstallation agreements with major manufacturers, Perplexity is positioning itself to build a multi-platform Perplexity browser tracking ecosystem that could rival established tech giants in data collection capabilities.

Digital Surveillance: How Perplexity’s Approach Compares to Big Tech

Perplexity’s surveillance ambitions follow a well-established playbook in the tech industry. Google built its approximately $2 trillion market capitalization largely on the back of user data collected through its browser and mobile operating system. The Perplexity browser tracking strategy appears to be directly modeled on this approach, with Srinivas openly acknowledging the parallel.

Meta represents another comparative model, using its Pixels tracking technology embedded across countless websites to monitor users even when they don’t have Facebook or Instagram accounts. Even Apple, despite its privacy-focused marketing, tracks user locations to sell advertising in some apps by default.

What distinguishes Perplexity’s approach is not the surveillance itself but Srinivas’ remarkable candor about the company’s intentions. While established tech giants typically frame their data collection practices in terms of user benefits or service improvements, Srinivas directly linked the Perplexity browser tracking initiative to advertising monetization goals.

Market Implications and Potential Chrome Acquisition Ambitions

The timing of Srinivas’ Perplexity browser tracking revelations is particularly notable given ongoing antitrust proceedings against Google. The U.S. Department of Justice is currently arguing that Google behaved in monopolistic ways to dominate search and online advertising, with potential remedies including forced divestiture of the Chrome browser.

Both Perplexity and OpenAI have expressed interest in acquiring Chrome should Google be forced to sell. Srinivas’ comments about browser-based tracking provide clear insight into why Perplexity would covet Chrome’s massive user base and data collection infrastructure. Acquiring Chrome would instantly give Perplexity access to billions of users’ browsing data, accelerating its advertising ambitions dramatically.

The irony of Perplexity openly discussing its surveillance plans while Google faces antitrust scrutiny for similar practices hasn’t gone unnoticed in the tech community. While established companies now face increasing regulatory constraints and public skepticism regarding data collection, Perplexity appears to be embracing these controversial practices as a core business strategy.

Conclusion: Transparency in a Surveillance Economy

Perplexity’s candid approach to discussing its Perplexity browser tracking and data collection ambitions represents an unusual level of transparency in an industry often criticized for obscuring such practices. Whether users will respond positively to this honesty or reject such comprehensive surveillance remains to be seen.

As Srinivas suggested on the podcast, Perplexity believes users will accept this tracking in exchange for more relevant advertising. However, this assumption comes at a time when public awareness and concern about digital privacy are at historic highs, with lawmakers across political spectrums increasingly advocating for stronger privacy protections.

When Comet launches in May, users will face a clear choice about whether to embrace a browser explicitly designed for surveillance and ad targeting or stick with alternatives that at least claim to prioritize privacy. The success or failure of Perplexity’s browser could signal whether the tech industry’s surveillance business model will continue to thrive or face increasing resistance in the coming years.