Perplexity's new browser will track user behavior to show ads
What's the story
Perplexity, a rising tech company, is building its own web browser to collect user data to better understand users and sell premium ads. The company's CEO, Aravind Srinivas, revealed the plan in a recent TBPN podcast interview. He said the main goal behind building a browser is to collect data beyond their app usage for a better understanding of users' online behavior.
User tracking
Tracking your activities for ad targeting
Srinivas stressed that the information gathered from the new browser will provide deeper insights into the lives of users. 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." This will be used to generate more relevant ads for Perplexity's clients.
Ad targeting
Perplexity says users will benefit from targeted ads
Srinivas believes that users of Perplexity's new browser will be fine with the tracking, as it will lead to more relevant ads. He said, "We plan to use all the context to build a better user profile and, maybe you know, through our discover feed we could show some ads there." This is similar to the tactics employed by tech giants like Google and Meta.
Launch details
New browser set to launch in May
Perplexity's new browser, dubbed Comet, will launch next month. Although it has encountered some hurdles in the development process, Srinivas confirmed that the project is back on track. The announcement comes as Perplexity also makes its move into mobile space through a partnership with Motorola. Perplexity will pre-install its app on the Razr series. Users can access this app by typing "Ask Perplexity" into Moto AI. The company is also said to be in talks with Samsung for similar partnership.