When Perplexity changes or adds an AI model provider, it provides notification but does not offer a pre-appointment objection period; Customer's only available recourse upon objection is to cease use of the relevant model.
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
This provision establishes a differentiated notification regime for AI Model Providers compared to general subcontractors, removing the pre-appointment objection window and limiting Customer's remedies to cessation of use of the affected model rather than termination of the Agreement.
Interpretive note: Whether the notification-only approach for Model Providers satisfies GDPR Article 28(2) sub-processor authorization requirements is subject to regulatory interpretation and may vary by supervisory authority guidance.
Business customers using Perplexity services are now governed by an updated DPA with two material operational changes. First, subprocessor disclosures have shifted from a static document attachment (Annex 2) to a live online list maintained at https://trust.perplexity.ai/subprocessors, with notifications of changes coming through in-product notification or email rather than through formal amendment. Second, certain Perplexity services (specifically Embeddings API and Perplexity Search) now operate under product-specific data postures and terms that control over the main DPA, meaning the data handling for those services may differ from the baseline agreement. Business customers should review the Trust Center list regularly and check for in-product notifications regarding subprocessor changes, as the updated terms no longer require static amendment cycles.
View change record →This high-severity addition creates a specific notification regime for AI model providers, representing heightened scrutiny over which third-party LLMs process customer data due to the sensitivity of generative AI dependencies.
View full change record →Under this clause, when Perplexity changes an AI model provider, the agreement does not provide a pre-appointment objection right or a termination remedy; the agreement requires that Customers who object cease use of the relevant model.
Cross-platform context
See how other platforms handle Model Provider Subcontractor Change Notification and similar clauses.
Compare across platforms →"If Perplexity appoints a new subcontractor or intends to make any changes concerning the addition or replacement of any subcontractor that provides large language models or other generative artificial intelligence models (a "Model Provider"), Perplexity will notify Customer (email sufficient) and will update the list of "Third-Party Providers" set forth at www.perplexity.ai/hub/legal/third-party-models (each of which is, for clarity, a Model Provider under this DPA). If Customer objects to the appointment or replacement, Customer's sole recourse is to (and Customer must) cease all use of the relevant Third-Party Model via the Services (which, for clarity, Customer may do at any time after the appointment or replacement).Excerpt from Perplexity AI's Perplexity Data Processing Addendum
REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision engages GDPR Article 28(2), which requires that processors obtain prior authorization from controllers before engaging new sub-processors, and comparable requirements under UK GDPR.
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This provision establishes a differentiated notification regime for AI Model Providers compared to general subcontractors, removing the pre-appointment objection window and limiting Customer's remedies to cessation of use of the affected model rather than termination of the Agreement.
Under this clause, when Perplexity changes an AI model provider, the agreement does not provide a pre-appointment objection right or a termination remedy; the agreement requires that Customers who object cease use of the relevant model.
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