Does ChatGPT have privacy issues?

ChatGPT and its developer OpenAI have received heavy criticism from governments, privacy experts, and users concerned about their data retention policies. So what does an AI chatbot really know about you and what does it use this information for?

Check out ChatGPT's privacy policy and terms of service to learn what it knows and what privacy risk it poses to you.

What information does ChatGPT store?

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ChatGPT's privacy policy tells us almost everything there is to know about its data retention habits. ChatGPT collects information from 3 sources:

1. Account information that you enter when you sign up or pay for a paid plan.
2. Information that you enter into the chatbot itself.
3. Identify the data it pulls from your device or browser, like your IP address and location.

Most of the data it keeps isn't particularly alarming. In fact, this is considered standard - almost every website where you have an account holds this information.

The real risk is that it collects data from your conversations with ChatGPT. When you are using AI, it is very easy to mistakenly provide your personal information to it. All you need to do is forget to proofread a document you asked to proofread, and you could be in real trouble.

Your account and payment information

OpenAI stores your name, contact details, login information, payment information and transaction records. It only keeps the latter if you sign up for a premium account. This information is basic, and you can expect almost every website you have an account with to collect it from you.

If you email the company or contact its customer support, the tool records your name, email address, and message content. Similarly, it records your social media contact details and any personal information you share if you leave comments on its social media pages.

Your device information

ChatGPT's services automatically collect some personal information from your device and browser. This includes your IP address, location, browser type, and the date and time you started using ChatGPT and the duration of your session. ChatGPT also retrieves your device name and operating system.

OpenAI uses cookies to track your browsing activity both in the chat window and on its website. It claims to use this information to analyze and understand exactly how you interact with ChatGPT.

Information you bring into the conversation

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ChatGPT records and stores a record of your chats. This means that any information you include in the chat, including personal information, is recorded. It's easy to fall into the trap of accidentally giving ChatGPT your personal information without realizing it until it's too late, especially if you use it to proofread personal or professional documents.

Using ChatGPT for your work is a bit more dangerous because it will store confidential information you enter about the company you work for, your employees, and your customers. For example, if you use it to collate feedback and organize it into a report, you might accidentally give it customer contact information.

The privacy policy states that if you intend to enter personal data into the chat, you need to provide those involved with adequate privacy notice. You also need to get their consent and be able to show OpenAI that you are processing this data according to the law. Furthermore, if you are entering information determined to be private under the GDPR, you must contact OpenAI to enforce the OpenAI Data Processing Addendum.

Does ChatGPT record your conversations?

Yes, ChatGPT records everything you type into it. Its privacy policy states that when you use ChatGPT, it may collect personal information from your messages, any files you upload, and any feedback you provide. That also makes ChatGPT a cybersecurity risk.

It also claims that your chats can be reviewed by their AI trainers to improve the chat and train the system further. So your personal data is not only compromised but also used for the benefit of OpenAI.

However, it should be noted that OpenAI allows users to maintain a level of control over their privacy. This is mainly due to changes the company made in April 2023, when it introduced a new feature to ChatGPT. This feature allows users to turn off chat history easily through the settings menu ( Settings > Data controls > Chat history & training ).

In an OpenAI announcement made at the time, it was stated that when chat history is turned off, the company only retains chats for 30 days. After 30 days, conversations will be permanently deleted. Chats are only reviewed when they need to be monitored for abuse and inappropriate behavior.

Who can see your ChatGPT data?

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Your personal information is made available to many people and organizations. In its privacy policy, OpenAI states that it shares this data with:

1. Suppliers and service providers.
2. Other businesses.
3. Branches.
4. Legal entities.
5. AI coach reviews your chat.

OpenAI provides very vague information about who it shares your data with and for what reason. It said it may provide your personal information to vendors and service providers to assist in meeting business needs and performing certain functions. These providers include hosting services, cloud services, other IT providers, event managers, email services, and analytics services.

Other parts are simpler. OpenAI will share your data with other businesses with which it is involved in the course of a transaction, reorganization, winding up or receivership. It may further share your data with law enforcement agencies to protect other users, the public or itself from liability.

OpenAI claims it may disclose your information to companies it is affiliated with. OpenAI doesn't say much about this, other than that its affiliates must follow a privacy policy when handling your data.

And finally, OpenAI's training staff will review your conversations and use them to improve AI. They also make sure that what you're saying in the chat complies with company policy. If you enter personal information into the chatbot, these employees will be able to see it.

Will regulatory pressure force OpenAI to take privacy more seriously?

In May 2023, Italy banned ChatGPT for allegedly violating GDPR. The ban has since been lifted, but regulators around the world have put pressure on OpenAI, demanding greater transparency and accountability.

In May of the same year, the privacy agencies of Canada, Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta agreed to investigate OpenAI to determine whether its flagship product was collecting data in accordance with the law. In a joint statement by the OPC, the agencies explained that they aim to investigate how and why ChatGPT collects data, whether it is respecting its 'obligations' in relation to transparency or not. and whether it receives 'consent' from users.

And in July 2023, news broke that the United States was also investigating OpenAI. According to The Washington Post, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched an investigation to determine whether OpenAI violated existing consumer protection laws by collecting information from the Internet, while also investigate claims that ChatGPT spreads "false, misleading or harmful" information.

The FTC also asked OpenAI to explain a security incident that occurred in March 2023, when a bug in the system allowed some users to view other people's chat history and payment information. In response, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a social media post that his company would work with the agency, but emphasized that ChatGPT complies with the law.

It is likely that governments across the globe will launch similar investigations into ChatGPT in the future, and it remains to be seen whether this will impact OpenAI's approach to user privacy. .

Samuel Daniel

Update 16 October 2023