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Chrome Deletes Its Own Privacy Promise for Sneaky On-Device AI
TL;DR
Chrome 148 has removed the phrase about on-device AI operating without sending data to Google servers, raising privacy concerns. Users noticed this change on the Chrome subreddit shortly after the update.
Key points
- Chrome 148 removed privacy wording from AI settings
- Users noticed the change on the Chrome subreddit
- Previous version stated no data sent to Google servers
- Change raises concerns about user data privacy
- Hacker News reported on the issue shortly after
In brief
- Chrome 148 removed the phrase "without sending your data to Google servers" from the on-device AI settings description that appeared in Chrome 147.
- The change was first spotted by users on the Chrome subreddit and picked up by Hacker News within hours.
- The phrasing implies that Google sends users' data to its servers even for requests that used to be fully private before.
Google Chrome's settings page made a quiet promise before its most recent update.
In Chrome version 147, under Settings > System > On-device AI, the description read: "To power features like scam detection, Chrome can use AI models that run directly on your device without sending your data to Google servers."
That line is gone in Chrome 148.0.7778.97, which began rolling out recently. The new text just says Chrome "can use AI models that run directly on your device. When this is off, these features might not work."
The removal was spotted by users on the Chrome subreddit and surfaced on Hacker News, where it collected over 250 points in hours, sparking debate among privacy enthusiasts. “I'm just surprised people use Chrome at all. Google has proven over and over they can't be trusted and will exploit you every chance they get,” said one user. “It's on-device AI spyware, really,” another user argued. “It collects intelligence about the user, summarizes it and sends it to Google, all paid by the user's electricity bill. Deviously clever.”
As we reported yesterday, Chrome has been silently downloading a roughly 4GB file called weights.bin—the weight file for Gemini Nano—to any device that meets its minimum hardware requirements, with no opt-in prompt and no visible notification. The file lands in a folder called OptGuideOnDeviceModel inside Chrome's user data directory. Delete it, and Chrome downloads it again on the next restart.
Q&A
What did Chrome 148 change regarding on-device AI privacy?
Chrome 148 removed the phrase indicating that on-device AI operates without sending data to Google servers, which was present in version 147.
Why is the removal of the privacy promise significant?
The change suggests that Google may now send user data to its servers for requests that were previously considered private, raising concerns about user privacy.
When was the change to Chrome's AI settings first reported?
The change was first spotted by users on the Chrome subreddit and quickly picked up by Hacker News shortly after the release of Chrome 148.
What was the original wording in Chrome 147 about on-device AI?
In Chrome 147, the settings description stated that AI models could run directly on the device without sending data to Google servers.
