OpenAI Removes ChatGPT Feature After Private Conversations Indexed by Google
OpenAI removed a ChatGPT feature that allowed users to make conversations discoverable by search engines after users discovered that sensitive personal information was being publicly indexed. The company acknowledged the opt-in feature created excessive opportunities for accidental oversharing and began working with search engines to de-index the exposed content.
What happened
OpenAI launched a feature allowing users to make ChatGPT conversations discoverable by search engines such as Google through an opt-in setting labeled 'make this chat discoverable.' The feature required users to tick a box and were told the chats would 'be shown in web searches.'
Newsletter writer Luiza Jarovsky posted on social media on Thursday that sensitive conversations were being made public through this sharing feature, highlighting examples of users discussing fears and personal topics with ChatGPT.
Reported impact
Users reported that private and sensitive conversations, including discussions of harassment and personal therapy-like sessions, were being indexed and made searchable. Jarovsky found examples of users discussing fears with ChatGPT that became publicly searchable.
OpenAI's chief information security officer stated the feature 'introduced too many opportunities for folks to accidentally share things they didn't intend to' despite the opt-in requirement and multiple confirmation steps.
Index analysis
The feature required deliberate user action including checking a box to make chats discoverable, though OpenAI acknowledged users may have absent-mindedly enabled the setting without fully understanding the implications. Chats made public were anonymized, reducing the risk of personal identification.
Governance controls
OpenAI removed the feature in response to the privacy concerns. The company stated it was working to remove indexed content from search engines, with the change rolling out to all users within the following day.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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