Overview

OpenAI provides controls to help you manage how data from ChatGPT and other consumer services is used. Available options include model-improvement settings, memory controls, temporary chat, account deletion, and privacy requests.

Your plan, account type, and workspace settings determine which controls are available. OpenAI handles business and managed-workspace data differently from data in personal consumer accounts.

Manage your privacy settings

In ChatGPT, open Settings and select Data controls to manage model-improvement preferences and other data controls. Memory settings are in Settings > Personalization.

The privacy center can also help you understand these options and find related settings. For more information, see: Data controls in ChatGPT.

Temporary chat

Temporary chats stay out of your chat history, do not create or update memories, and are not used to improve OpenAI models while they remain temporary. Before the conversation begins, choose whether the chat is personalized. Personalized temporary chats can use existing memories, custom instructions, and plugins. You can turn personalization off when you start the chat. Account and workspace restrictions still apply. OpenAI may retain a copy for up to 30 days for safety purposes.

If you save a temporary chat, it becomes a regular chat in your history and follows your account’s personalization and model-improvement settings.

For more information, see: Temporary chat in ChatGPT.

Model improvement for consumer and business accounts

We may use content submitted to ChatGPT and our other services for individuals to improve model performance. For example, depending on a user’s settings, we may use the user’s prompts, the model’s responses, and other content such as images and files to improve model performance.

For more information, see: How your data is used to improve model performance.

By default, OpenAI does not use content from ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, Edu, or ChatGPT for Healthcare workspaces or the API Platform to improve its models. Organizations can choose to share data when that option is available. For more information, see: Enterprise privacy.

Delete your account and reuse your email

Deleting your account removes access to services associated with that account, including ChatGPT and the API Platform. If the account was fully deleted rather than deactivated, you can create a new account with the same email address after 30 days. For instructions, see: Deleting your ChatGPT account.

Reuse a mobile phone number

A phone number can verify the first API key for up to 3 accounts. Deleting an account does not reset that API verification limit. This limit is separate from whether you can reuse the number for a new ChatGPT account after deletion.

With some exceptions, we do allow consumers who have deleted their ChatGPT account to re-register using the same phone number. If you have permanently deleted your ChatGPT consumer account (and your account was not disabled for a violation of our terms or policies), we will remove the phone number from our system after 30 days. Once that happens, you may sign up again with the same number.

For more information about API phone verification and number reuse, see: Phone verification requirements.

You cannot unlink a phone number from an existing OpenAI account.

Delete your chat history

You can clear specific chat conversations one at a time from your chat history or clear all of your history at once. Cleared chats are deleted from our systems within 30 days, unless they have previously been de-identified and disassociated from your account or we have to keep them for security or legal reasons.

How content is shared with service providers

We share content with a select group of trusted service providers that help us provide our services. We share the minimum amount of content we need in order to accomplish this purpose and our service providers are subject to strict confidentiality and security obligations. We do not share your chat content for marketing or advertising purposes. For more information about our advertising practices, see: Ads in ChatGPT.

For more information, see: Privacy Policy.

Where content is stored

Content is stored on OpenAI systems and our trusted service providers’ systems in the US and around the world. We may also send select portions of content to trusted service providers (subject to confidentiality and security obligations) for data annotation and safety purposes.

Authorized human access to content

A limited number of authorized OpenAI personnel, as well as trusted service providers that are subject to confidentiality and security obligations, may access user content only as needed for these reasons: (1) investigating abuse or a security incident; (2) to provide support to you if you reach out to us with questions about your account, or to troubleshoot issues affecting the product experience; (3) to handle legal matters; or (4) to improve model performance (unless you have opted out). Access to content is subject to technical access controls and limited only to authorized personnel on a need-to-know basis. Additionally, we monitor and log all access to user content and authorized personnel must undergo security and privacy training prior to accessing any user content.

Please do not enter sensitive information that you would not want reviewed or used.

Data sales and advertiser access

OpenAI does not sell your data or share your ChatGPT conversations with advertisers. For more information, see: Ads in ChatGPT.

Submit a privacy request

Submit a privacy request through the Privacy Portal or email dsar@openai.com.