You've spent the last 25 days learning how to get the most out of ChatGPT. Today we need to talk about something equally important: what happens to your data when you use it.
This isn't a scare-tactics lesson. ChatGPT is safe to use. But like any powerful tool, it's important to understand how it handles your information so you can make informed decisions — especially if you're using it with anything sensitive.
Today you'll learn exactly what ChatGPT stores, what it doesn't, how to control your privacy settings, how the new ad-supported free tier works, and practical tips for keeping your information safe.
Let's be precise about what happens to your data:
Your conversations are stored in your account. When you chat with ChatGPT, the conversation is saved so you can come back to it later. This is the conversation history you see in your sidebar. You can view, continue, or delete these at any time.
Conversations may be used for model training — unless you opt out. On the Free, Go, and Plus plans, OpenAI may use your conversations to improve their models. However, you can opt out of this in your settings (we'll show you how below). When you opt out, your conversations are still stored for your access but are not used for training.
Business and Enterprise conversations are never used for training. This is a contractual guarantee. If you're on a Business or Enterprise plan, your data is off-limits for model improvement. Full stop.
ChatGPT does not remember everything by default. The Memory feature (which we covered earlier in this course) stores specific facts you've asked it to remember. But it doesn't secretly memorize everything — Memory items are explicitly saved and you can view, edit, and delete them.
Temporary Chats leave no trace. If you use the Temporary Chat feature, the conversation is not saved to your history and is not used for training. It disappears when you close it.
File uploads are processed and then stored temporarily. When you upload a file, ChatGPT processes it to respond to your request. Uploaded files are retained temporarily for conversation continuity but are not permanently stored or used independently.
ChatGPT gives you full control over your data. Here's how to manage it:
Deleting individual conversations:
- In the sidebar, hover over any conversation
- Click the three-dot menu and select "Delete"
- The conversation is permanently removed
Deleting all conversations:
- Go to Settings > Data Controls
- Click "Clear all conversations"
- This wipes your entire history
Managing Memory:
- Go to Settings > Personalization > Memory
- You'll see a list of everything ChatGPT has memorized about you
- Click any memory item to view its details
- Delete individual memories or clear all memories at once
- You can also turn Memory off entirely if you prefer
Opting out of model training:
- Go to Settings > Data Controls
- Toggle off "Improve the model for everyone"
- When this is off, your conversations are not used to train future models
- Note: this does not affect your service — ChatGPT works the same whether you opt in or out
Exporting your data:
- Go to Settings > Data Controls > Export Data
- OpenAI will email you a download link with all your ChatGPT data
- This includes your conversations, account details, and any stored preferences
In 2025, OpenAI introduced ads on the free tier of ChatGPT to support making the service available to everyone at no cost. Here's how they work and — importantly — what data is and isn't involved:
How ads appear: You may see occasional sponsored suggestions or ad placements within the ChatGPT interface when using the Free plan. These are clearly labeled as ads or sponsored content.
What data is used for ad targeting: Ads may be targeted based on general context — such as the topic of your current conversation or your general usage patterns. For example, if you're asking about fitness, you might see an ad related to health products.
What data is NOT shared with advertisers:
- Your actual conversation content is never shared with advertisers
- Your personal information (name, email, etc.) is not shared
- Your conversation history is not shared
- Your Memory items are not shared
- Advertisers do not get access to your files or uploads
How to remove ads: Upgrading to any paid plan (Go, Plus, Pro, Business, or Enterprise) removes all ads. The Go plan at $5-8/month is the most affordable ad-free option.
The bottom line: ads on the free tier are relatively unobtrusive and do not compromise your privacy. OpenAI has drawn a clear line between showing contextual ads and sharing your private data.
Even with strong privacy controls, it's smart to practice good data hygiene. Here are practical guidelines:
Use Temporary Chat for sensitive topics. If you're discussing something you don't want stored at all — medical questions, financial details, legal matters — use Temporary Chat mode. It leaves no record.
Don't share passwords, API keys, or secrets. This should be obvious, but don't paste passwords, authentication tokens, private keys, or other secrets into ChatGPT. If you need help with code that uses an API key, replace the actual key with a placeholder like "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE."
Be cautious with proprietary business information. If you're on a personal (non-Business) plan, think carefully before sharing trade secrets, unreleased product details, or confidential business data. Consider upgrading to Business if this is a regular need.
Anonymize personal data when possible. If you need ChatGPT to help analyze data about real people, consider removing or replacing names, email addresses, and other identifying information before uploading.
Review your Memory regularly. Check what ChatGPT has memorized about you (Settings > Personalization > Memory) and delete anything you're not comfortable with it retaining.
Use the data export feature periodically. Export your data occasionally so you know exactly what's stored. This also serves as a backup of conversations you might want to keep.
Educate your team. If you're in a workplace, make sure everyone understands the privacy settings and best practices. One person sharing sensitive data without proper settings can create risk for the whole organization.