Thousands Of ChatGPT Conversations Leaked On Google Search: How To Check If You Were Affected

In a shocking incident, thousands of private ChatGPT conversations were found publicly accessible through Google search. These included chats on personal topics like mental health, abuse, addiction, and career struggles with the AI chatbot. The chats weren’t visible by default, but they were searchable if shared through ChatGPT’s “Share” button. This incident has created a serious concern regarding online privacy and how quickly AI conversations go public without the knowledge of users. Also Read: After Praising iPhone Air, Sam Altman Says ChatGPT Should Replace Siri

Conversations Were Indexed by Google

It was noticed when the users noticed that they could add `site:chatgpt.com/share` to a search on Google and get hundreds of shared conversations from ChatGPT. First reported by Fast Company, around 4,500 such links were indexed by Google. Although most chats were harmless or general in nature, some included very personal and sensitive content, such as discussions about sex life, mental health issues, addiction, and workplace problems. Also Read: How ChatGPT Can Help You Build A Professional Resume In Minutes

These conversations couldn’t be made public unless users made them accessible by enabling this option. But most users would have unintentionally opted for this setting when they used ChatGPT’s share feature. Also Read: Apple’s Thinnest iPhone Air Gets Nod From OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Here's What He Said

How Did This Happen?

ChatGPT has a “Share” button that generates a public link for any conversation. This link can then be shared over messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram. However, ChatGPT has an option labelled “Make this chat discoverable” that allowed search engines like Google to index these personal chat links, making them appear in public search results.

Many users likely misunderstood this setting, enabling the option thinking it was necessary to share the chat with friends. Once shared, the links could be accessed by anyone – and even continued – with the help of the chatbot. The cached versions of the chats could still remain visible online for some time, even if the user later deleted the link after sharing it on messaging platforms.

OpenAI Responds

OpenAI responded to the privacy loophole and removed the discoverability option from the “Share” window. According to an OpenAI employee, the feature was a “short-lived experiment” that created too much risk of accidental sharing. OpenAI’s FAQ now clarifies that shared chats are not public unless users specifically select the discoverable option.

What Users Can Do

If you’ve ever shared ChatGPT conversations, you can view and remove them. Here’s how to do it:

1. Visit your ChatGPT settings
2. Tap on the ‘Data Controls’ option
3. Select ‘Manage’ next to ‘Shared Links’

This will display all the chats you have shared and allow you to remove any links that you don’t want available anymore.

No Legal Privacy for AI Conversations

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has also stated that users should not expect legal confidentiality when chatting with AI. Since there is no formal policy or legal framework around AI conversations yet, content from ChatGPT chats could be used in court if requested.