Fake Perplexity Chrome extension spies on your searches

Type “Perplexity” into the Chrome Web Store and you get a range of browser extensions offering access to the popular AI search service. Until last week, one of them was called “ Search for perplexity ai ,” and it delivered something extra that users hadn’t bargained for: a small hidden surveillance operation. On June 29, Microsoft’s Defender Security Research Team revealed that the extension had been impersonating the real AI search company while secretly recording what users typed.