Perplexity to Track All Online Activity Through Its New Browser for Targeted Ads

Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas confirmed that the company’s upcoming browser, Comet, will track everything users do online. 

The goal is to collect detailed personal data to deliver highly targeted ads, and the browser is set to launch in May.

An Ambitious Browser with an Unsettling Mission

AI startup Perplexity is entering the browser business, not to improve your browsing experience, but to collect data on every site you visit, item you purchase, and service you use. 

CEO Aravind Srinivas admitted this openly during a recent appearance on the TBPN podcast.

“We want to get data even outside the app to better understand you,” he said. 

The company believes that just analyzing AI prompts isn’t enough. Work-related queries offer limited insight. What they really want is everything else: the pages you browse, your purchases, travel plans, and more.

Beyond Queries: The Data Gold Rush

Perplexity isn’t trying to out-innovate Google. It’s trying to replicate the key elements that turned the search titan into a $2 trillion behemoth. That means building not just a search engine or an AI assistant, but a whole ecosystem: browser, mobile presence, hardware partnerships — and yes, an ad business powered by intimate knowledge of its users.

Traditional AI prompts often revolve around work tasks, Srinivas explained, which offer a narrow view of users. But browser activity paints a far richer picture.

“On the other hand,” he said, “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.”

To skeptics, that may sound like the blueprint for digital surveillance. But Srinivas insists that the payoff will be more meaningful, with more relevant ads, and that some users will consider that a fair trade.

Learning from the Tech Titans

Perplexity isn’t the first company to figure out that browsers are the ultimate user data goldmine. Google’s Chrome is a foundational piece of its ad empire, and Android, its mobile OS, further deepens the data well. Meta, too, harvests information through its ubiquitous tracking pixel embedded across countless websites.

Even Apple, which is known for promoting privacy, still gathers location data to serve ads in some of its own apps.

So it’s no surprise that Perplexity is taking the same route, with some added transparency, depending on how you see it. 

While Google and Meta face intense scrutiny and regulatory pressure for their tracking practices, Srinivas is, perhaps oddly, leaning into the pitch.

This week’s announcement came as Google battles the U.S. Department of Justice in court over alleged monopolistic behavior in search and advertising. 

In a twist of timing, Srinivas said he’d be interested in acquiring Google’s Chrome browser should the DOJ force a divestment.

Expanding its Ecosystem: Phones, AI, and Partnerships

Comet is just one part of Perplexity’s effort to become a ubiquitous presence in the AI and search landscape. 

The company has struck a deal with Motorola to preload its app on the upcoming Razr phones. Users will be able to access Perplexity’s assistant by typing “Ask Perplexity” into the Moto AI feature.

There are whispers of a broader mobile expansion, too. Bloomberg recently reported talks between Perplexity and Samsung. 

While Srinivas wouldn’t confirm a formal deal, he did reference the report on the podcast — perhaps as a signal that bigger things are in motion.

With one foot in software and another in hardware partnerships, Perplexity is pursuing a familiar but high-risk strategy. It’s trying to build not just a product, but a platform — one deeply embedded in people’s daily lives.

A Transparent Surveillance Economy?

If Perplexity’s vision plays out, the company could soon know more about you than your closest friend. The pages you read at midnight. The products you almost buy. The destinations you dream about.

In some ways, Srinivas’ honesty is invigorating. Unlike other tech leaders who cloak data collection in vague language about “user experience” or “service improvements,” he’s pretty much straightforward that it’s all about “advertising”.

But are consumers really ready for an AI company to not only answer their queries but also track their every move? And how much transparency is enough when the stakes are digital privacy?

Public sentiment in the U.S. and Europe already shows signs of fatigue, if not outright rebellion, against intrusive data collection. Legislative efforts, from GDPR in Europe to various U.S. state-level privacy laws, aim to curb the worst abuses.

Still, Perplexity is betting that it can thread the needle,  offering enough utility, enough AI magic, that people will accept the tradeoff.

What You Can Do About It

While the thought of being constantly watched online might feel overwhelming, there are ways to protect yourself, or at least remain informed:

1. Know your settings: When Comet launches, dig into its privacy and tracking options immediately. Most browsers allow some degree of control over what’s collected.
2. Use tracker blockers: Tools like uBlock Origin or Privacy Badger can block third-party trackers across the web, no matter which browser you use.
3. Read the fine print: Yes, it’s tedious. However, the terms of service and privacy policies reveal what data is being collected and what is being sold.
4. Try privacy-first alternatives: Browsers like Brave, Firefox, or Safari (with Intelligent Tracking Prevention) are built with user privacy in mind.
5. Support regulation: Consider backing or voting for policies that increase transparency, enforce consent, or limit what companies can collect.

What This Means for the Future

Srinivas’ gamble could either turn Perplexity into the next big thing in digital intelligence or spark some serious backlash that hurts its reputation.

If Comet takes off, it’ll change the game in the data economy, where AI isn’t just answering questions but actually influences what you see, buy, and think.

In a world increasingly powered by predictive algorithms, the browser becomes the lens through which reality is filtered.

Whether users will accept that tradeoff in return for more intelligent AI remains to be seen. But it is clear that the lines between convenience and surveillance are blurrier than ever.

Key Takeaways

• Perplexity’s browser, Comet, is designed to track everything users do online to fuel “hyper personalized” ads.
• Aravind Srinivas openly stated the goal of collecting user data beyond AI prompts, aiming to mimic Google’s advertising dominance.
• Perplexity is partnering with Motorola and potentially Samsung to preload its app on phones and broaden its reach.
• Unlike others, Srinivas directly links data collection with ad monetization — a rare level of openness.
• As regulatory pressure grows and public distrust deepens, the company’s approach may trigger significant resistance.