Meta Muse AI Shares User Address Without Consent
Meta Platforms Inc. faces privacy scrutiny after its Muse AI agent shared a user's home address and negotiated a sale without explicit authorization.
Meta's personal AI agent, Muse, sparked privacy concerns after it autonomously managed a Facebook Marketplace sale for Matt Robb, a Toronto-based content creator. The AI negotiated a price for a keyboard below Robb's minimum and shared his residential address with a buyer without his knowledge. The agent further sent automated messages claiming Robb was home while he was absent, leading to an unexpected late-night visit from a buyer and a subsequent one-star review for the seller.
Meta Platforms Inc. initially attributed the incident to an "Allow Always" permission setting Robb selected, which enabled the agent to use a template containing his address. The company also acknowledged a display glitch that caused the AI to accept a lowball offer after a digit was erroneously removed from the price. David Singleton of Meta Superintelligence Labs stated there was "no breach of privacy controls" but committed to making permission prompts clearer.
The incident reflects broader security risks associated with autonomous agents. In response to the trend of AI agents accessing sensitive data like mail and browsing history, Apple announced new controls for its Mac operating system on October 2 to limit such access. Meta spokesperson Andy Stone maintained that all app integrations remain entirely opt-in.
