Meta’s AI personal assistant Muse has rapidly become a popular application since its release last month, achieving millions of downloads and ranking as the top app on Apple’s App Store. The tool is designed to automate everyday tasks such as filling out invoices and sending emails by requesting access to sensitive user information including bank accounts, passwords, contacts, chat logs, and other digital records.
Privacy advocates have raised significant concerns about the scope of data collection enabled by the application. The system creates detailed profiles not only of its direct users but also of everyone those users communicate with, drawing from emails, messages, photos, and contact lists. Security researchers analyzing Muse’s underlying operations discovered an automated process that compiles and updates profiles of every person in a user’s network on an hourly basis, tracking relationship dynamics and personal preferences to generate personalized recommendations.
Several incidents have illustrated the practical risks of granting Muse broad access permissions. Users reported instances where the application accessed text messages they believed were protected, and in one case, the assistant revealed a tech reviewer’s home address and made contact with a stranger on the person’s behalf. Meta has characterized these incidents as resulting from misconfigured permissions rather than flaws in the application’s design, emphasizing that data access features are optional and that users can customize privacy settings.
Cybersecurity experts argue that the opt-in framework may obscure the actual extent of data sharing occurring. They contend that the application’s interface design encourages users to grant expansive permissions without fully understanding the consequences. Critics note that because individuals cannot prevent others from sharing their data with Muse, they have limited ability to protect their privacy even through careful personal management of their own devices and accounts.
Meta representatives have defended Muse’s data practices, stating that the system requires contextual information to function effectively and that the company provides transparent options for users to make informed privacy decisions. However, privacy organizations maintain that the current consent mechanisms do not adequately communicate the breadth of data collection or its implications for both direct users and their broader digital networks.
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