Provision record
Perplexity AI · Perplexity AI Privacy Policy · View original document ↗

Query and Conversation Data Shared with Third-Party AI Model Providers

High severity Medium confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Common · 294 of 352 platforms
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Recent governance activity Perplexity AI recorded 11 documented changes in the last 30 days.
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Document Record

What it is

The policy authorizes Perplexity to share user query content and conversation history with external AI model providers in order to generate responses. These third-party providers may process the submitted content under their own terms.

This analysis describes what Perplexity AI's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

This provision establishes that sensitive user query content and conversation history are transmitted to third-party organizations beyond Perplexity, creating a data sharing chain that extends Perplexity's privacy obligations into downstream provider relationships. Compliance teams should assess whether adequate data processing agreements govern these transfers and whether the processing basis is sufficient under applicable law.

Interpretive note: The policy does not enumerate specific third-party AI model providers, making it difficult to assess the full scope of data sharing authorized by this provision.

Recent Activity

This document changed recently

Medium Jul 5, 2026

The updated Privacy Notice establishes more granular disclosure of data collection methods across multiple product areas. Perplexity now explicitly discloses that it collects and stores browsing history and settings in the Comet browser based on consent or legitimate interest, accesses email content through Email Assistant to analyze messages (while stating it does not train AI models on that content), and collects demographic data if users voluntarily upload it. The revised structure also clarifies that local browser data storage occurs on users' devices and that incognito mode does not fully prevent tracking by websites or Perplexity. You can review Comet privacy settings and controls as described in the updated policy.

View change record →

Clause Stability Mostly Stable

1
Change
3
Months Monitored
May 20, 2026
First Seen
May 22, 2026
Last Seen
This clause type exists across 4545 other provisions on other platforms.
This clause has changed once in 3 months of monitoring.

Change history

added Jul 5, 2026

This is a newly disclosed high-severity practice of sharing query content and conversation history with third-party AI providers, which was not explicitly mentioned in the previous version.

View full change record →

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Under this clause, query content and conversation history submitted by users may be processed by third-party AI model providers, not solely by Perplexity. The specific identity and data handling practices of those third-party providers are not fully enumerated in the policy text reviewed.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.
  • Delete Your Data
    Email privacy@perplexity.ai to request deletion of your query and conversation data. Include your account information and specify the data you want deleted.

How other platforms handle this

Google Gemini Medium

Third-party apps use data from Gemini consistent with their own privacy policies and terms.

Lime Medium

if you are accessing and using Lime Services under a corporate account...you acknowledge and agree that Lime may share certain of your usage information with whomever provided you with access to the Lime Services

Adobe Medium

We will disclose personal information to companies that help us run our business to detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, deception, illegal activity, misuse of Adobe Services and Software, and security or technical issues.

See all platforms with this clause type →

Monitoring

Perplexity AI has changed this document before.

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
We may share your information with third-party AI model providers to generate responses to your queries. These providers may process your queries and conversation history as part of providing their services.

Excerpt from Perplexity AI's Privacy Policy

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (regulatory & governance intelligence)

1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision implicates GDPR Articles governing data controller and processor relationships and international data transfers, CCPA provisions on sharing personal information with service providers and third parties, and FTC Act standards on material disclosures to consumers. EU/EEA data transfers to third-party AI providers located outside the EEA require valid transfer mechanisms such as Standard Contractual Clauses. The enforcement authority in the EU is the lead supervisory authority under GDPR; the FTC has jurisdiction in the US. 2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: High. The sharing of query content with third-party AI model providers creates complex data processing chain obligations. If the third-party providers use the data for their own model training or analytics, additional disclosure and consent obligations may arise. The policy does not enumerate specific third-party AI providers by name, limiting users' ability to assess downstream data handling. 3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU/EEA users face the highest exposure, as GDPR requires explicit lawful bases for data transfers to third countries and mandates data processing agreements with all processors. California users are protected by CCPA service provider restrictions. Healthcare or legal query content submitted by users could attract additional regulatory scrutiny in any jurisdiction. 4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Procurement and legal teams should verify that data processing agreements with all third-party AI model providers are in place, covering purpose limitation, retention, security, and sub-processing restrictions. The policy's lack of named providers creates due diligence gaps for enterprise customers seeking to assess supply chain data risk. 5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should maintain an updated list of third-party AI model providers, ensure DPAs or equivalent agreements are executed, and verify that transfer mechanisms are valid for cross-border flows. User-facing disclosures should be reviewed to confirm they satisfy GDPR transparency requirements regarding the identity of recipients.

Full institutional analysis

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC has jurisdiction over data sharing practices and material disclosures under the FTC Act's unfair and deceptive practices standards.
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

CCPA/CPRA
California, USA
Connecticut Data Privacy Act Amendments
US-CT
CAN-SPAM
United States Federal
FTC Act Section 5
United States Federal
GDPR
European Union
Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act
US-IN
Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act
US-KY
UK GDPR
United Kingdom
Universal Opt-Out Mechanism Expansion 2026
US

Provision details

Document information
Document
Perplexity AI Privacy Policy
Entity
Perplexity AI
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 20, 2026
Last verified
May 20, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-012338
Document ID
CA-D-00096
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
7a057e3763178c42d63b923457110d680078d6e1c70e9e48a9931e5b440c4bcc
Analysis generated
May 20, 2026 20:16 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Perplexity AI
Document: Perplexity AI Privacy Policy
Record ID: CA-P-012338
Captured: 2026-05-20 20:16:11 UTC
SHA-256: 7a057e3763178c42…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/perplexity-ai/perplexity-ai-privacy-policy/provision/CA-P-012338/query-and-conversation-data-shared-with-third-party-ai-model-providers/
Accessed: July 25, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
High
Categories

Other risks in this policy

Related Analysis

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Provision-level monitoring, governance timelines, and regulatory mapping built from archived source documents and historical version tracking.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Perplexity AI's Query and Conversation Data Shared with Third-Party AI Model Providers clause do?

This provision establishes that sensitive user query content and conversation history are transmitted to third-party organizations beyond Perplexity, creating a data sharing chain that extends Perplexity's privacy obligations into downstream provider relationships. Compliance teams should assess whether adequate data processing agreements govern these transfers and whether the processing basis is sufficient under applicable law.

How does this clause affect you?

Under this clause, query content and conversation history submitted by users may be processed by third-party AI model providers, not solely by Perplexity. The specific identity and data handling practices of those third-party providers are not fully enumerated in the policy text reviewed.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 294 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Perplexity AI?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Perplexity AI.