A proposed class-action lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco accuses Perplexity AI of secretly embedding ad trackers from Google and Meta that shared complete chat transcripts with both tech giants without user consent.

The Trackers

The 135-page complaint, filed by an anonymous plaintiff on April 1, alleges that Facebook Meta Pixel, Google Ads, and Google DoubleClick trackers were embedded directly in Perplexity's code. According to the suit, opening prompts were always shared, and for non-subscribed users, a URL providing access to entire conversations was transmitted to both companies alongside personally identifiable information including email addresses.

Incognito Mode "Does Nothing"

Perhaps most damaging is the allegation that Perplexity's Incognito Mode - marketed as creating "anonymous threads" that expire after 24 hours - offered no actual protection. The complaint states that even paid users with Incognito enabled had their conversations and identifying data shared with Google and Meta.

Sensitive Data at Stake

The lawsuit highlights that users routinely share financial, medical, and legal information with AI search tools, believing those conversations are private. Perplexity's own interface actively encourages users to upload sensitive records during sessions. The plaintiff used Perplexity for tax planning, investment advice, and Social Security calculations - all allegedly exposed.

What's Next

The proposed class covers Perplexity users nationwide from December 2022 through February 2026. Google and Meta are named as co-defendants. Statutory damages could exceed $5,000 per violation across potentially millions of chat logs. Perplexity told reporters it has not been served and cannot verify the claims.