Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas announced that the company’s forthcoming browser, Comet, will track everything users do online in order to sell hyper-personalized advertisements. Unlike the current Perplexity app, which collects more limited data, the Comet browser will monitor a user’s full web activity to build detailed behavioral profiles. Srinivas argued that users would willingly accept this deeper level of tracking in return for more relevant and personalized experiences. The goal is to use this extensive data collection to refine Perplexity’s AI models and advertising systems, making them more competitive against entrenched tech giants like Google.
This strategy reflects a growing trend in the tech industry toward data-driven personalization, but it also raises serious concerns about user privacy and trust. While Srinivas emphasized the potential user benefits, critics argue that pervasive tracking could lead to significant setbacks if consumers reject the trade-off or if regulatory scrutiny intensifies. Perplexity’s approach highlights the tension between innovation and privacy, suggesting that its future success will depend not only on technological advancement but also on how well it manages public perception and compliance in an increasingly privacy-sensitive environment.
Leave a Reply