OpenAI Disables ChatGPT Search Sharing Feature Over Privacy Risks

OpenAI has abruptly removed a ChatGPT feature that allowed shared conversations to appear in search engine results. The decision follows reports that personal data—including resumes and sensitive queries—could be exposed through indexed chat links. The feature, initially framed as an opt-in experiment, enabled users to publicly share dialogues via a dedicated subdomain.

Chief Information Security Officer DANE acknowledged the misstep in a social media post, noting the feature created unintended privacy vulnerabilities. While shared chats excluded identifiable user information, OpenAI concluded the risks outweighed the benefits of discoverable AI conversations. The episode mirrors longstanding document privacy challenges on platforms like Google Drive, where public links can be indexed without user awareness.