Security researcher Alexander Hanff, also known as “That Privacy Guy,” has published a new analysis claiming that Google Chrome is silently downloading a large on-device AI model to some users’ computers without clear notice or consent.
The file, called “weights.bin,” is reportedly around 4GB in size and is linked to Google’s on-device AI system based on its lightweight Gemini Nano model.
According to Hanff, Chrome automatically downloads the file on systems that meet certain hardware requirements. He says users are not shown a clear prompt explaining that a multi-gigabyte AI model will be stored locally, and there does not appear to be a simple setting to stop it. If users delete the file, Chrome may download it again unless certain experimental flags are disabled or the browser is removed.
Hanff tested the behavior using a fresh Chrome profile on macOS and monitored filesystem activity through the operating system’s logs. His analysis claims Chrome created the model directory and downloaded the full 4GB file in the background while no user action was taking place. He also points to Chrome’s internal state files, which reportedly show the browser checking the system’s hardware and marking it as eligible for the on-device model before the download began.
The researcher argues that this raises serious privacy and transparency concerns. He compares it with an earlier issue he reported involving Anthropic’s Claude Desktop app, which he said quietly installed a browser integration bridge across several Chromium-based browsers, including some that were not even installed on the machine. In both cases, Hanff says the larger problem is that tech companies are modifying user systems in the background without meaningful permission.
Hanff also raises possible legal concerns, especially in Europe. He argues that this kind of silent download could conflict with rules under the ePrivacy Directive and GDPR, particularly around storing data on user devices and clearly explaining how software behaves. These claims have not been tested in court, but they add to growing concerns over how aggressively companies are rolling out AI features.
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