Surfshark says Meta Muse collects 31 of 35 data types

Meta’s Muse collects 31 of 35 types of data listed for AI chatbots in the Apple App Store, according to research by Surfshark. Meta AI collects 33 types, while Google Gemini collects 24, the study says.

Surfshark compared 13 widely used AI chatbots. It says Muse and Meta AI collect almost twice as many types as their competitors. The three chatbots also collect sensitive information including ethnicity, sexual orientation, trade union membership, political opinions, and genetic and biometric data.

ChatGPT ranks fourth, collecting 17 data types. Surfshark says that figure is 70% higher than last year, and that ChatGPT now also collects health and fitness data, audio recordings and search history. The research says Gemini, Meta AI, Muse and Perplexity collect location data, while ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Claude and Copilot collect approximate location information.

Surfshark named Pi, Duck.ai and Mistral Vibe the least intrusive chatbots in its comparison. Pi collects user ID, product interaction and crash data, according to the research.

The company also raises concerns about Muse’s access to calendars, emails and bank accounts, and says such data could be combined with interaction context to build detailed user profiles. The source reports warnings from a security researcher and user allegations about voice recordings and private messages; those claims are not independently established in the material provided.