Privacy and Reliability of ChatGPT — OpenAI

Privacy and Reliability of ChatGPT

How ChatGPT handles your data depends on your settings, account type, and the features you use. Share only the information that is necessary, review your data and storage settings, and verify important responses: persuasive wording is not proof that the content is accurate.

Is ChatGPT safe and reliable?

ChatGPT can be useful for explanations, draft texts, and organizing information. However, responsible use requires two separate checks: what data do you enter, and how do you evaluate the response?

Privacy concerns the processing, storage, and sharing of information. Reliability concerns the accuracy, completeness, and substantiation of the outcome. A conversation with little personal data may yield an incorrect answer. A substantively correct summary, on the other hand, may contain an unnecessary amount of confidential information.

Therefore, there is no single approach that fully addresses both topics. A practical approach combines informed data choices with a level of control appropriate to the importance of the task.

Verified on October 27, 2026. Features and settings may vary by subscription, region, device, and operating environment. If changes occur, please refer to the current information in your account and the OpenAI Help Centre.

What happens to the information you enter?

When you ask a question or upload a file, you provide information that is processed to answer your inquiry. What is subsequently stored or used depends, among other things, on the type of interaction, your data settings, and any applicable organizational policies.

Be sure to distinguish between saving a conversation, using information for personalization, and using content to improve models. These are different processes with separate options.

So don’t just ask, “Is privacy enabled?” Consider what specific choice you want to make. For example, a clean chat history says little about your model improvement settings.

Does OpenAI use conversations to train models?

For personal accounts, conversation content may be used to improve the model, depending on your settings. According to OpenAI, you can disable “Improve the model for everyone.” Brand New conversations will then not be used for model training; your history can be preserved.

Where do you adjust this setting?

1. Open the ChatGPT account menu.
2. Select " Instellingen " or " Settings."
3. Open Data Management or Data Controls.
4. Search for “Improve the model for everyone” and browse your options.

The Dutch translation is subject to change. Therefore, please also refer to the explanation next to the toggle switch. For speech, there is a separate option to share data for model training.

Please note when providing feedback

OpenAI notes that when you provide voluntary feedback—such as giving a thumbs-up to an answer—the associated conversation may still be used for training. This is something to keep in mind when providing feedback on a conversation with sensitive content.

Furthermore, changing a data selection does not automatically delete existing content everywhere. To do that, you’ll need to review your saved conversations, files, and other sources individually.

What protects a temporary call?

A temporary conversation will not appear in your history unless you save it as a regular conversation. In its temporary form, it is not used for model improvement and does not generate brand new memories. OpenAI may, however, retain a copy for up to thirty days for security purposes.

“Temporary” does not mean that no processing or storage takes place at all. Use this feature as a deliberate choice for a conversation you do not want to save by default.

Be sure to check the personalization options as well

With the current temporary sessions, you can choose between personalized and non-personalized before your first message. A personalized temporary session can use existing memories, personal instructions, and plugins. A non-personalized session does not use these.

Limited security and safety applications of context remain possible. The personalization option is therefore not a general guarantee that all forms of prior context will be disregarded.

What if you do save the conversation?

Saving converts a temporary conversation into a regular conversation. From that point on, the normal personalization and model improvement settings of your account and any work environment apply.

Read that choice carefully. Saving something because the answer is convenient also changes the way the conversation is handled going forward.

Memory: handy, but check what’s included

Memory can use preferences and relevant information from available sources to personalize your responses. You can find the available settings under Settings → Personalization → Memory.

The available sources and options vary. These may include previous conversations, saved reminders, and, where available, files or associated information.

Turning off memory does not delete your conversations

Disabling personalization and removing source information are two different offers. Additionally, deleting a single conversation does not necessarily remove a separately stored memory.

If you want to remove specific information, check where it appears: in a memory, conversation, file, or linked source. A memory summary is not a complete inventory of all possible context.

A practical example

You used an old business address for a previous assignment. Later, that address appears again in a draft. In that case, don’t just correct the brand new text. Also check the source that contains the outdated address.

This helps protect both your privacy and the quality of future responses. After all, outdated personal context can also lead to factual errors.

Archiving and deleting: what’s the difference?

Archiving preserves a conversation; deleting is intended to remove it. An archived conversation disappears from the regular overview but follows the same retention rules as other saved conversations.

When you delete a conversation, it disappears immediately from your account view. OpenAI plans to permanently delete it within thirty days, with exceptions for, among other things, legal or security obligations and data that has already been disconnected and is no longer linked to you.

You cannot retrieve a deleted conversation via ChatGPT or support. Therefore, be sure to save any information you still need in a suitable location first.

Check files individually

Files can be stored separately from a conversation, for example in Library. Deleting a conversation does not automatically delete such a separately stored file. Project files also have their own storage context.

If you want to clean up, don’t just go through your chat history. Also check saved files, projects, and reminders that contain the same information.

What information should you omit?

A useful rule of thumb: only include information that actually changes the answer. When rephrasing a polite email, a full address and an account number are usually unnecessary.

For example, omit this information if it serves no purpose:

• Passwords, recovery codes, and secret access keys.
• Identification numbers and complete identification documents.
• No unnecessary payment, billing, or contact information required.
• Recognizable information about customers, students, or colleagues.
• Confidential business information that you must not share.

That doesn’t mean you have to perform a task without any background information. You can describe the relevant situation without including all the specific details.

Example: Preparing a customer message

To provide a response, it’s often sufficient for a customer to report a problem and for you to suggest a solution. The customer’s real name, product key, and full order history aren’t necessarily required for this.

Rewrite this response for [CUSTOMER]. Keep the explanation of the problem and the suggested next step. Do not include any names, order numbers, or other identifying information.

Please enter any necessary personal information only in your final document. This keeps the source material for text editing to a minimum.

Replacing a name does not automatically make information anonymous

Using “Person A” doesn’t help much if the rest of the description makes someone clearly identifiable. A combination of job title, place of residence, age, and an unusual event can still reveal a lot.

Ask yourself whether a reader with some background knowledge can understand who is being referred to. Remove or generalize details that aren’t necessary for the task.

When doing an exercise, it’s best to use a fictional scenario. For a sample letter, you don’t need to use a real customer case if a made-up example achieves the same learning objective.

Please note the screenshots and attachments

A screenshot can sometimes reveal more than the error message for which you’re seeking help. Be sure to also check the address bar, notifications, sidebar, and other open windows.

If possible, crop the relevant section. If you’re working with a copy of a document, remove any unnecessary pages and information before uploading it.

A quick check before uploading

• Is this the correct file and version?
• Are there any names or numbers visible that aren’t necessary?
• Are there other calls or notifications on the screen?
• Can the same question be answered with a shorter excerpt?

This check takes very little time and prevents you from having to clean up the same information in multiple places later on.

Sharing calls: control both content and access

A shared link from a personal account can be accessed by anyone who has the link. Different access rules apply within managed work environments.

Always view the full preview. Supported images, files, and previously entered personal data may be part of the shared content.

Deleting a link prevents future access via that link, but does not remove copies that others have already saved. Manage shared links individually using the options available in data management.

Do you just want to forward a clear explanation? Then consider placing a verified excerpt in a brand new document. This way, you can precisely control what information the recipient receives.

Connected apps bring additional data streams

A connection to, for example, email or a document service can give ChatGPT access to information that you don’t include in the conversation yourself. Therefore, check what access the connection requires.

For connected services, the terms and conditions of those services also apply. Therefore, ChatGPT’s data settings do not tell the whole story about the information processed by a third-party application.

Determine in advance what task the link is intended to support. Rewriting a single paragraph usually doesn’t require a broad collection of business documents.

For business use, also ask who manages user accounts and how unused access is revoked. A clear policy prevents each employee from having to figure this out on their own.

Is a paid account automatically more secure?

Don’t just go by the price. Personal and business subscriptions have different data terms and conditions.

OpenAI states that data from Business, Enterprise, and Edu work environments is not used for model training by default. Additionally, organizations’ own rules regarding access, retention, and use continue to apply.

Not every upload is appropriate in a business environment. Ask what types of information your organization permits and which activities must remain within the approved environment.

Make those agreements concrete: what data is allowed to be included, who checks important results, and what do you do if incorrect information is accidentally added?

How reliable are ChatGPT’s answers?

ChatGPT can provide an answer that sounds convincing but is actually incorrect. OpenAI cites fabricated quotes, incorrect facts, and references to nonexistent sources, among other things, as examples of such errors.

This is often referred to as a hallucination. The polished style doesn’t help you recognize that error. Therefore, look at the evidence behind the claim and consider the task for which you want to use the answer.

There is no general reliability percentage that evaluates your specific answer. A test score does not indicate whether the date mentioned in your document is correct.

Why “Are you sure?” offers little certainty

A second affirmative answer does not constitute an independent verification. Instead, check the genuine source or verify an important result separately.

If in doubt, ask which parts are based on a source and which are interpretations. This will help you identify what you still need to investigate.

Verify sources: look beyond the link

An existing website may contain an incorrectly presented conclusion. Therefore, please verify that the source precisely supports what is claimed in the answer.

1. Check the source: Does the page exist, and can you read the content?
2. Find the passage: is the information mentioned actually there?
3. Check the context: does it apply to your country, version, or situation?
4. Check the latest updates: when was the information published, and what does it cover?

For software instructions, for example, it matters whether the source covers the same edition. For business hours, you want information for the correct day. A similar situation isn’t always the same situation.

What should you check when reviewing numbers and tables?

Start with the input. A calculation can be done correctly but based on the wrong amount, the wrong unit, or an incorrect time period.

When reviewing a summary, be sure to check quantities, currencies, dates, decimals, and the meaning of each column. Also, pay attention to the difference between a total amount and an amount per person or per month.

Compare a key result with the genuine file or a separate calculation. Any discrepancy will indicate where further investigation is needed.

Check this table for incorrect units, duplicate rows, and missing amounts. List the inputs used for each calculation. Do not fill in missing numbers yourself.

Adjust the level of control to the importance of the task

Not every decision requires the same amount of effort. When coming up with ideas for a birthday card, you mainly need to consider whether the message is appropriate. A decision with implications for health, legal matters, or finances requires more careful consideration.

ChatGPT can help organize questions and make information easier to understand. Then decide who should review the answer before you act on it.

Real-world examples

A student summarizes a chapter

For the summary, the chapter text is relevant. The student’s name and comments about classmates are not. Afterward, check whether the definitions and examples match the course material.

If necessary, please specify which parts were unclear. That way, you can refer back to the source directly.

An employee is preparing a response for a customer

Use only the necessary information and approved solutions. Before sending, check that the text does not contain any brand new commitments, such as a refund or a delivery date that has not yet been confirmed.

The most important question here isn’t whether the email sounds good, but whether the content matches what you can actually offer.

A consumer compares two offers

Redact any unnecessary contact and payment information. Then, verify that the comparison uses the same term and included features. Compile any missing information into a questionnaire for the providers.

Accidentally shared sensitive information: what now?

First, stop sharing it further. Then, check where the information ended up: in a conversation, file, reminder, shared link, or external application.

Use the available removal and access options for those locations. If it’s a business incident, report it through the agreed-upon internal channel. If it involves a shared password or access key, replace or revoke it through the genuine service.

Do not assume that data will be immediately deleted from all systems. Take into account the specified retention periods and any copies that already exist outside the scope of this discussion.

Terms Related to Privacy and Reliability

Frequently Asked Questions

Are my ChatGPT conversations public?

A regular conversation is not automatically a public post. Sharing is a separate action. Also, review access to your account, work environment, and any connections.

Is a temporary call completely anonymous?

Do not consider temporary use as a guarantee of anonymity. It has specific rules regarding history, personalization, and storage. Limit identifiable information there as well to what is necessary.

Will clearing my cache delete my old conversations?

No. Memory settings and deleting call history are separate matters. Also check other sources that contain the same information.

Does an answer become reliable simply because it cites sources?

Sources allow for verification. You still need to check whether they exist, are up to date, and support the claim in question.

Can I ask ChatGPT whether a text was written by AI?

You can ask the question, but OpenAI states that ChatGPT cannot reliably determine this. Do not use such a response as proof of authorship.

Key Insights

• Share only the information necessary to complete your task.
• Manage model improvement, memory, conversations, and shared content separately.
• When cleaning up, also check saved files and other resources.
• Evaluate key claims based on the genuine source.
• Ensure the depth of your audit aligns with the consequences of an error.