As AI chatbots become more integrated into daily life, a new study highlights growing concerns over data privacy.
The report ranks popular AI bots by how much user data they collect from users, revealing major differences in practices. While ChatGPT leads the market with over 200 million weekly users, some competitors collect more extensive personal data, including contact details and sensitive user content.
The number and type of data points vary by bot, raising questions about transparency and user consent. Experts warn that such practices could pose privacy risks if not regulated. They urge users to stay informed about what they share.
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According to data from Surfshark, which identified the most popular AI chatbots and analysed their privacy details on the Apple App Store, here are seven AI chatbots ranked by how much data they collect from users, as of February 18, 2025.
Gemini – 22 data points collected
Gemini, developed by Google, topped the list with 22 data points collected, making it the most extensive among all chatbots in the study, gathering information across categories such as contact information, location, contacts, user content, search and chat history, identifiers, diagnostics, usage data, purchase history, and other miscellaneous data—making it the only chatbot identified to collect users’ contact lists, a feature not observed in any other AI assistant reviewed.
Claude – 13 data points collected
Claude, developed by Anthropic, collects 13 data points across contact information, location, user content, identifiers, diagnostics, and usage data, offering broad data collection without accessing contact lists or purchase history.
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Copilot – 12 data points collected
Copilot, Microsoft’s AI assistant, gathers 12 data points including contact information, location, user content, search and chat history, identifiers, diagnostics, and usage data, with a focus on providing contextual responses through session tracking.
DeepSeek – 11 data points collected
DeepSeek collects 11 data points comprising contact information, user content, identifiers, diagnostics, and usage data, maintaining a moderate level of data collection without tracking location or purchases.
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ChatGPT – 10 data points collected
ChatGPT, created by OpenAI, gathers 10 data points covering contact information, user content, identifiers, diagnostics, and usage data, without collecting location, purchase history, or contact lists, maintaining a balanced approach to data usage.
Perplexity – 10 data points collected
Perplexity collects 10 data points focused on location, identifiers, diagnostics, usage data, and purchase information, showing an emphasis on behavioural insights while avoiding direct collection of user content or contact details.
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Grok – 7 data points collected
Grok, developed by xAI, collects the least data with 7 points focused on contact information, identifiers, and diagnostics, offering a more minimal approach to data collection compared to other AI chatbots.
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