The surveillance browser trap: AI companies are copying Big Techs worst privacy mistakes

Date:
Wed, 27 Aug 2025 11:00:57 +0000

Description:
AI is changing how we browse. But unless we act now, it could also redefine what were willing to sacrifice.

FULL STORY ======================================================================

The browser wars are back only this time, the battleground isnt tabs or load times. Its intelligence.

A new wave of AI -powered browsers promises to transform how we interact with the web, turning passive pages into active assistants that summarize, search, automate, and act on your behalf. But while the tech may feel novel, the business model behind it isnt. These browsers dont just offer smarter tools they risk ushering in a new era of data extraction, baked into the very architecture of how we browse.

On 9 July, Perplexity launched Comet a slick new browser that promises to revolutionize how we interact with the web using embedded AI assistants.
Soon, OpenAI is expected to follow, reportedly designing its browser to take on Google Chrome by baking agentic AI models directly into the browsing experience. These models wont just help you navigate the web theyll act on your behalf, making decisions, summarizing content, and even initiating
tasks.

For all the talk of innovation, though, theres an uncomfortable sense of dj vu. Because while the front end may be changing, the business model behind it all feels eerily familiar surveillance, packaged as convenience. Privacy failures

Weve been down this road before. For anyone who remembers Cambridge Analytica or Googles $5 billion Incognito tracking lawsuit, the idea that tech
companies might exploit user data in the name of progress shouldnt come as a surprise.

What is surprising, though, is how quickly AI companies are embracing the
very same privacy failures that landed their Web 2.0 predecessors in hot water. Comet, for instance, reportedly tracks everything users do online to build hyper-personalized ad profiles a move straight out of the early-2000s Google playbook.

But this isnt just a repeat of the past. The stakes are much higher now. AI systems dont simply store information they learn from it. They dont just record your browsing history they analyze it, infer your intent, predict
your preferences, and adapt to your behavior. This isnt passive tracking. Its predictive, persuasive, and increasingly invisible. Invisibility

And that invisibility is part of the problem. When a browser starts finishing your sentences, anticipating your questions, and helping with your emails ,
it feels like magic. But behind that seamless experience is a complex black box trained on your digital life. And unlike cookies or ad IDs, this kind of data isnt easily wiped.

Once an AI model ingests your personal information, theres no reliable way to make it forget. What goes in becomes part of the models DNA shaping its outputs long after youve closed the tab.

Some argue that users understand this trade-off that people are willingly giving up privacy for smarter tools. But lets not pretend I agree on a 12,000-word terms of service means informed consent.

Most users dont know what theyre giving away, let alone how it might be used months or years down the line. Weve normalized this kind of ambient data collection to the point that it barely registers as a privacy issue anymore. That doesnt make it harmless. It just makes it harder to spot. Building user trust

As the founder of Aloha Browser, Ive spent years watching the industry flirt with these trade-offs. I understand the temptation to lean into data-driven personalization. But I also know that building user trust requires restraint, not reach. Respecting peoples boundaries shouldnt be considered radical it should be the baseline.

The urgency of this moment isnt just technical its also regulatory. Earlier this month, the European Commission released a voluntary Code of Practice for general-purpose AI models, marking the first major milestone in the rollout
of the EUs AI Act.

Full compliance will become mandatory by August 2026, but these early guidelines already signal the direction of travel transparency,
documentation , and accountability. Europe now has the chance to lead by example to show that its possible to build transformative AI products
without reverting to the surveillance capitalism model that defined the last digital era. Invisible surveillance

But regulation moves slowly, and the industry doesnt wait. The AI browsers launching now will set precedents technical, legal, and cultural that could shape the next decade of digital life.

If we let these tools define normal before the rules catch up, we may find ourselves trapped in an architecture of invisible surveillance thats far more entrenched than anything we faced in Web 2.0. If were not careful, todays AI browsers could usher in a form of surveillance even more pervasive and less visible than anything we saw with Cambridge Analytica.

We dont have to accept that outcome. If we dont fight for privacy now, well lose it not with a bang, but with an instant, frictionless click.

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