Overview
OpenAI may deactivate or restrict an account because of a policy violation, a security concern, or an incomplete account requirement. ChatGPT may also temporarily suspend an account in response to a serious safety concern.
A temporary safety suspension and a permanent account closure are different actions. The message you receive can help you identify what happened and which next steps apply.
Reasons an account may be deactivated
OpenAI may deactivate an account for a policy violation, a security concern, repeated misuse, or an incomplete verification requirement. The reason depends on the account and the activity involved.
Usage policy violations
OpenAI’s Usage Policies prohibit certain uses of its services. Content or activity that may violate these policies includes:
Sexual content that violates applicable policy restrictions.
Child exploitation or abuse.
Content that facilitates violence or harm to others.
Content that promotes suicide or self-harm.
Deceptive behavior or scams.
Hate, harassment, or spam.
Illegal activity.
Intellectual property infringement.
Discussing a sensitive topic does not, by itself, mean your account will be permanently closed. Account actions depend on the circumstances and applicable policies.
Terms of Use violations
Your account may be permanently closed for activity that violates OpenAI’s Terms of Use. Examples include:
Circumventing security controls or access restrictions.
Sharing your account or API keys in ways that violate the terms.
Using OpenAI services in ways that could harm others or disrupt the services.
Security concerns or unauthorized access
OpenAI may restrict account access if activity suggests that someone else accessed your account. This type of security restriction is different from a temporary safety suspension related to violence or harm.
If you suspect unauthorized access:
Change your account password.
Review your account for activity or charges you do not recognize.
Rotate any API keys that may have been exposed.
Contact OpenAI Support if you cannot access your account or need help reporting unauthorized activity.
For help securing your account, see: Unrecognized activity on your OpenAI account.
For guidance on securing and rotating API keys, see: Best practices for API key safety.
Repeated violations after a warning
For some policy violations, OpenAI may send a warning and give you an opportunity to correct the issue. Your account may be permanently closed if the issue continues or is not resolved within the time stated in the warning.
Incomplete identity or age verification
Some accounts require identity or age verification. If you do not complete a required verification, your account may be deactivated or disabled until the requirement is met.
If you are asked to complete required age verification, follow the instructions and any deadline shown in ChatGPT.
If your account was deactivated because you missed Italy’s required age-verification deadline, try signing in and select Verify your age on the deactivation screen. You can also restart verification through Stripe. For the complete steps, including which email address to use, see: Recovering an account after a missed age-verification deadline.
Being placed in the ChatGPT for Teens experience does not by itself deactivate your account. For more information, see: Age prediction in ChatGPT.
For information about the verification process, see: What happens after you submit your ID for age verification.
For information about why verification may be required, see: Why you may be asked to verify your identity.
If you cannot find your verification email, contact OpenAI Support to request that it be sent again.
Temporary safety suspensions
After repeated conversation endings, ChatGPT may temporarily suspend your account if further conversations raise serious concerns about violence or harm to others.
When a temporary safety suspension begins, you are signed out immediately and cannot sign in or use ChatGPT while the suspension is active. Once the suspension ends, you can sign in again unless a separate account action affects your access.
A temporary safety suspension does not, by itself, mean your account was permanently closed. If you receive a separate permanent account closure notice, follow the instructions in that notice.
For more information about ended conversations and temporary account suspensions, see: Why ChatGPT ended your conversation or temporarily suspended your account over concerns about violence.
If anyone’s safety is at risk, contact local emergency services immediately. Crisis-support resources remain available from the sign-in screen while your account is suspended. To find a crisis helpline in your country or region, see: Find a Helpline.
Request a review of a permanent account closure
If you believe your account was permanently closed by mistake, use the appeal link in your account-closure notification email.
If you cannot access that email, submit a request through the account closure appeal form.
If you lost access to your account but did not receive an account-closure email, contact OpenAI Support through the Help Center.
Requesting a review does not guarantee that your account will be restored.
Information to include
Include the details that apply to your situation:
Your user ID and organization ID, if available.
Relevant information about your account activity and why you believe the permanent closure was a mistake.
The date range of any suspected unauthorized access.
Steps you have taken to secure your account or resolve the issue.
If you see charges you do not recognize, also include:
The date of each charge.
The amount of each charge.
The last 4 digits of the payment card.
The card brand.
The name of the issuing bank.
The billing postal code or ZIP code.
Do not include your complete payment card number or security code.
Reduce the risk of future account restrictions
To protect your account and reduce the risk of future policy or security issues:
Review and follow OpenAI’s Usage Policies and Terms of Use.
Keep your password, account credentials, and API keys secure.
Respond to policy warnings and complete required verification within the stated time.
Review unusual account activity or charges promptly.
If you build with the OpenAI API, consider using the Moderation endpoint to identify content that may violate applicable policies.
Contact OpenAI Support
If you need help with account access, verification, unauthorized activity, or an account-closure notice you did not receive, contact OpenAI Support through the Help Center.