OpenAI has updated its privacy policy to allow limited sharing of user data with third-party marketing partners, introducing ad tracking through cookies to promote services like ChatGPT and Codex on external platforms.
The company clarified that while identifiers such as cookie IDs, device IDs, and in some cases email addresses may be shared to measure ad effectiveness and user conversions, personal conversations on ChatGPT will remain private and are not shared with advertisers. Users were informed of the update via email, and the changes currently apply primarily to users in the United States.
The move comes as OpenAI expands its advertising efforts, including testing ads within ChatGPT responses. The updated policy allows sharing of limited data with vendors, service providers, and marketing partners to support business operations, analytics, and promotional campaigns. Cookies and similar technologies may be used to track user interactions across websites.
OpenAI stated that the policy does not change its stance on protecting user conversations or inferring personal characteristics from data such as prompts, payment details, or birth dates. Users can opt out of marketing tracking through settings by navigating to Data Controls and disabling the marketing privacy option.
The update aligns with broader industry trends, as companies like Google also explore integrating ads into generative AI platforms.
