Think your ChatGPT conversations are private? Not necessarily!

OpenAI (the company that created ChatGPT) lets you share ChatGPT conversations with others, but it's easy to accidentally click a box and inadvertently make your private conversations public.   

The facts 

OpenAI introduced a feature allowing users to share ChatGPT conversations via public links, which can be indexed by search engines if made discoverable. If you intentionally share your discussion (such as by manually posting it online or using a platform feature to create a public link), it could be indexed by Google. Otherwise, these chats remain private and out of reach for search engines by design. 

The reality 

Many ChatGPT users seem to be unintentionally making their private conversations publicly available in search results. Using a special Google search operator (site:chatgpt.com/share) allows you to find publicly shared ChatGPT conversations. 

Using this method can reveal conversations on a wide range of topics. These topics include discussions about all kinds of personal and potentially sensitive subjects. 

Workplace topics include employees exploring business strategies or preparing for interviews, consultants asking for proposal drafts using real names and corporate data, requests to rewrite resumes for specific job applications and conversations containing emails, locations, or phone numbers. 

The impact 

While usernames are not displayed in shared links, users may inadvertently reveal identifying information by including personal details, work histories, or locations in their conversations. OpenAI initially stated that conversations would not appear in public search results unless the "make this chat discoverable" checkbox was explicitly selected when sharing a link, says PCMag. However, several sources indicate that many users were unaware of the implications of this setting, and some shared links were indexed even without being publicly promoted.  

OpenAI has since removed the "make this chat discoverable" setting, and previously shared chats will no longer be indexed going forward. However, already-indexed content may still appear in search results temporarily due to caching. Even deleting a conversation from ChatGPT's history does not delete the public share link or remove it from search engines.  

How to keep your data safe 

To manage or delete your shared links, navigate to your settings, then "data controls", and finally "shared links". You can also delete all shared links from this section, according to the OpenAI Help Center. Always review conversation content carefully before sharing, and don't include sensitive personal or workplace information in any shared links. 

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