Meta pauses Muse chat sharing after researchers find AI chats on the web
Meta says it has paused a feature in Muse, its AI assistant, that lets users share conversations through a link. The pause followed a report this week from researchers at the security firm Claroc, who say they found more than 6,800 Muse links through public DNS records. Ars Technica reported the story first; The Verge obtained an emailed statement from Muse spokesperson Tracy Clayton.
Clayton's statement says people can share specific Muse artifacts, which creates a page that can be accessed by those with the link. It continues: "However, we’ve paused this functionality while we review this report and consider changes to how these links can be discovered."
Claroc's finding is about how the links were built. In its words, Muse builds each share's web address from the share's title, a short phrase describing the conversation, then a random ID. The hostname usually gave away what a page held before the researchers opened it, and because the link carries that same title and ID, a hostname pulled from DNS rebuilds the link. DNS records are public and serve as a directory for web traffic.
By searching those records, Claroc was able to view hundreds of Muse conversations. The examples named include a marketing company's revenue review, a small business owner's loan application, a workplace's full-year staff calendar, and notes for a job candidate's call with an AI lab.
The Verge notes this is not the first time AI sharing features have made chats more public than intended: conversations with OpenAI's ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude and xAI's Grok have ended up on Google Search.
Key facts
- Meta says it paused the Muse feature that lets users share conversations via a link, while it reviews Claroc's report and considers changes to how the links can be discovered.
- Claroc says it found more than 6,800 Muse links through public DNS records and was able to view hundreds of Muse conversations.
- Muse share addresses were built from the conversation's title, a short descriptive phrase, plus a random ID, so a hostname pulled from DNS rebuilds the link.
- Exposed material included a marketing company's revenue review, a small business owner's loan application, a workplace's full-year staff calendar, and notes for a job candidate's call with an AI lab.
- ChatGPT, Claude and Grok conversations have previously wound up on Google Search through sharing features.
Why it matters
Sharing links are meant to be seen only by the people who receive them. Claroc's finding is that Muse's links could be discovered by anyone searching public DNS records, because the address carried a readable title and an ID. The Verge points out that this is a repeat pattern: ChatGPT, Claude and Grok chats have also ended up on Google Search through sharing features.
Who it affects
Muse users who have shared conversations are the group at issue, since those are the links Claroc found. The exposed examples were ordinary work and personal material: a revenue review, a loan application, a staff calendar and interview notes. The source does not say how many users are affected.
How to use it
Muse's share function is currently paused, so there is nothing to switch on. The practical lesson from the story: per Meta's spokesperson, a shared Muse page can be accessed by anyone with the link, and Claroc showed the link could be rebuilt from a hostname found in DNS. Treat anything put into a shareable AI chat accordingly.
How solid is it
The central facts come from Claroc's own report and Meta's emailed statement to The Verge, which confirms the pause. The Verge credits Ars Technica with the original report. The figure of more than 6,800 counts links found, while the number of conversations Claroc actually viewed is given only as hundreds. The report was published this week; no exact date is given.
Risks and caveats
Meta's statement does not admit a flaw or apologise; it says it will review the report and consider changes. The source does not say how long the pause will last or whether the feature will return, and it does not say whether Meta has deleted or deactivated the links already exposed. It also does not say whether anyone other than Claroc accessed the chats or misused them.
“However, we’ve paused this functionality while we review this report and consider changes to how these links can be discovered.”
— Tracy Clayton, Muse spokesperson, in an emailed statement to The Verge