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Are ChatGPT chats private? Can OpenAI read them?
Short answer
Your chats aren't public, but they aren't fully private either. OpenAI stores them on its systems and those of its service providers, and may use personal-plan chats to improve its models unless you turn that off. OpenAI says not to enter sensitive information you wouldn't want reviewed. It says it doesn't sell your data or share chats with advertisers.
Who can see your chats
- You, in your chat history, until you delete them.
- OpenAI and trusted service providers, for example for safety, data annotation, support and legal reasons. OpenAI's help page says it shares the minimum content needed and its providers are bound by confidentiality.
- Anyone you share a link with, if you use the share feature.
OpenAI stores content in the US and around the world.
Training
On personal plans (Free, Go, Plus, Pro), OpenAI may use your chats to improve its models depending on your settings. Turn it off in Settings, then Data controls. By default, OpenAI doesn't use content from ChatGPT Business, Enterprise or Edu workspaces to train its models. See does ChatGPT use my data for training?
Settings to change today
- Settings, then Data controls: turn off model improvement.
- Use a temporary chat for anything sensitive. It isn't used for training while it stays temporary, though OpenAI may keep a copy for up to 30 days for safety.
- Delete chats you don't need. See how to delete your ChatGPT data.
For a UK business
Don't paste customer names, addresses, health details or bank details into a personal account. Under UK GDPR you're responsible for what you share. Read can I put customer data into ChatGPT? and set some ground rules with an AI policy.
Related questions
Does ChatGPT sell my data?
OpenAI says it doesn't sell your data or share your ChatGPT conversations with advertisers.
Is ChatGPT Plus more private than Free?
Not by default. Plus follows the same data controls as Free. The business plans have different defaults.
Are ChatGPT chats used for ads?
OpenAI says it doesn't share chat content for marketing or advertising purposes.
Sources
Checked 17 October 2026. Rules and prices change, so check the source before you rely on it. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.
More on data, privacy and gdpr
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- Are AI tools secure for business?
- Are Microsoft Copilot chats private?
- Can AI agents be trusted?
- Can I put customer data into ChatGPT?
- Can Meta AI be turned off on Facebook and Instagram?
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