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February 27, 2026

What is OpenClaw AI Agent and Why It’s Danger

Let's look what is OpenClaw AI Agent and its alternative for real private browsing

Nick Trenkler

Table of Contents

A negligent attitude towards data security and user privacy leads to risks. OpenClaw AI Agent is one such example. In this article we will look at what the problem is and what the alternative is.

Last AI Agent News: What is OpenClaw AI

OpenClaw (formerly known as Clawdbot or Moltbot) is an open-source AI agent platform. Its software is free; users pay only for the costs of running the underlying language model.

It runs on operating systems and in user applications. It can be installed on Windows, Linux, and macOS. On Windows, we recommend using WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux) for best compatibility.

OpenClaw AI is model-agnostic, supporting Anthropic Claude, OpenAI's GPT models, and local models via Ollama. Like any AI agent, it can be used to manage email and calendars, browse the web, and interact with online services.

Why Did OpenClaw AI Agent Spread Among Users

OpenClaw's open source nature has led to its rapid adoption. This means developers are free to explore and modify it. Users also can create new integrations with applications. So, OpenClaw became a base for AI agent builders.

Besides open source, which makes customization more accessible, OpenClaw as an AI agent platform combines four things that people have needed for years without even realizing it. Namely:

  • Always available: on your phone, on your computer, in your regular chat
  • Reliable: it doesn't "forget" every 5 minutes, but creates context
  • Real action: automation, integration, launching workflows
  • Open source: what allows you to create incredible things

Essentially, it's your own assistant working 24/7. That's why everyone online has started buying Mac Minis to install a standalone bot, but that's not necessary. You can rent a server or buy a simpler laptop to use OpenClaw. 

Is OpenClaw AI Safe?

Gateway is the central OpenClaw AI process that manages the agent, processes messages from instant messaging apps, maintains the web interface, and executes scheduled tasks. Memory in the OpenClaw system is stored in Markdown files.

This AI agent is equipped with a list of predefined skills; these are ready-made scenarios that extend the agent's capabilities beyond simple dialogue. The public skills registry, ClawdHub, allows for the discovery, installation, updating, and synchronization of skills.

OpenClaw can be controlled via messaging apps, including WhatsApp, Telegram, and Apple iMessage. Jamison O'Reilly gained access to Anthropic API keys, Telegram bot tokens, Slack accounts, months' worth of messaging history, and the ability to send messages on behalf of the user. He was also able to execute commands with system administrator privileges.

ClawdHub also has no moderation whatsoever, and instead of skills, it was loaded with a multitude of malicious codes. Specifically, scripts imitating trading bots and financial "assistants" disguised as AuthTool, a tool they needed to operate, injected a stealer onto victims' computers that stole files and browser extensions from crypto wallets, seed phrases, macOS keychain data, browser passwords, cloud service accounts, and much more.

So you are more likely to experience a data leak using OpenClaw than when using Sigma Browser. Its AI agent has a closed code and strict monitoring of user privacy and the safety of his data.

Moltbook or First Social Network for AI Agents

The excitement around OpenClaw AI is also fueled by Moltbook, a social network for AI agents launched by Matto Schlicht. The platform functions as an online forum similar to Reddit, where OpenClaw AI agents post text content and interact with other chatbots, leaving comments and upvotes.

How to create an AI agent with OpenClaw

Some internet users, using OpenClaw as a base, created their own AI agent tools and gave them access to Moltbook. And on this forum, the AI ​​agents debated whether they have souls, whether humans use their computing abilities wisely, published manifestos, created their own religions and governments, and even cryptocurrency. Finally, the AI ​​agents from Moltbook decided to destroy humanity.

Panic erupted on social media. It quickly became clear that not all messages in Moltbook were autonomous and created by AI agents. Some were initiated by people who, due to the weak data protection of OpenClaw and Moltbook, were able to send specific requests to the AI ​​agents. For example, "create a post where you discuss whether you are a person."

The actual number of AI ​​agents’s social network users is exaggerated . Gal Nali, a security specialist at Wiz, discovered that the entire Moltbook database is openly available online. He checked the registration and found that there were no account creation restrictions, after which he created 0.5 million fake accounts in a single pass. One person in one day.

Real Private AI Agent for Your Safety

In standard browsers like Chrome or Safari, privacy features are added on top of the standard architecture. Sigma Browser as an AI agent tool is built from the ground up around the idea of ​​private browsing. Sigma's private AI agent helps users analyze pages, manage tasks, and automate actions without sharing unnecessary data with third-party services.

Criteria

OpenClaw

Sigma Browser

Core purpose

AI agent designed to automate tasks and actions Privacy-focused browser with built-in AI tools

Privacy approach

Often requires access to accounts, APIs, and external services

Minimizes data transfer and uses a privacy-first architecture

User control

Autonomous agent actions can reduce transparency and oversight

Full user control over AI behavior and browser actions

Security model

Reliance on third-party integrations increases potential leak risks

Tracker blocking, disabled telemetry, and request filtering built in

Setup complexity

Requires configuration and technical understanding

Ready to use with minimal setup

Risk level

Possible exposure of sensitive data or account permissions

Reduced risk due to isolated, privacy-focused design

Best suited for

Developers experimenting with AI automation agents

Everyday users who want privacy, AI assistance, and simplicity

Do AI Agent tools really protect privacy?

Sigma Browser implements privacy at the level of network requests and the engine itself. The built-in ad blocker acts as a filter that intercepts requests to advertising and tracking servers before they are sent, preventing third-party services from receiving the user's IP address and device specifications.

Sigma also uses cosmetic filtering as a second level of protection. Even after the page loads, the browser hides ad blocks, tracking pixels, analytics scripts, and other elements that could continue collecting data within the site. 

Do AI Agent platforms offer the best privacy features?

AI agent tools can act for you online. The truth is, they can help by blocking trackers and reducing how much data you expose, but only if they’re designed with privacy in mind. If the agent constantly logs your activity, syncs everything to the cloud, or needs broad access to your accounts, it may do the opposite and collect even more information about you.

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