Google Chrome Silently Downloads 4GB AI Model on May 6 Without User Consent

According to Tom's Hardware, security researcher Alexander Hanff disclosed that Google Chrome silently downloads approximately 4GB of AI model file "weights.bin" to eligible devices on May 6 without explicit user notification or consent. The file, based on Gemini Nano, powers local AI features within the browser. Hanff noted that even if users manually delete the file, it automatically re-downloads in the background unless users disable experimental features or uninstall Chrome.

Hanff argues the practice may violate the EU ePrivacy Directive and GDPR requirements regarding data storage on user devices and transparency, while creating additional bandwidth costs and energy consumption globally.