Technology

Google Chrome 'silently' downloads 4GB AI model to your device without permission, report claims — researcher says practice may violate EU law, waste thousands of kilowatts of energy

Source

Tom's Hardware

Published

May 6, 2026

TL;DR

AI Generated

Security researcher Alexander Hanff has reported that Google Chrome is downloading a 4GB on-device AI model without user permission, potentially violating EU law and wasting energy. This behavior is similar to a previous issue Hanff identified with Anthropic's software, indicating a broader trend among tech companies. Hanff conducted tests showing Chrome silently downloads the AI model in the background, raising legal concerns about privacy and transparency. The environmental impact of distributing such large files globally is also highlighted, with Hanff estimating significant CO2 emissions. The issue underscores the tension between tech companies' aggressive feature rollout and regulatory expectations, particularly in Europe.

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Google Chrome 'silently' downloads 4GB AI model to your device without permission, report claims — researcher says practice may violate EU law, waste thousands of kilowatts of energy

TL;DR

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Google Chrome 'silently' downloads 4GB AI model to your device without permission, report claims — researcher says practice may violate EU law, waste thousands of kilowatts of energy

TL;DR

Similar Articles

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Standard 90-day vulnerability disclosure policy is likely dead thanks to AI, expert warns that AI can weaponize patches in 30 minutes — LLM-assisted bug-hunting ushers in a new cyberworld order