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Does ChatGPT sell your data?

October 1, 2026

OpenAI says no: it does not sell your data, and advertisers never receive your conversations, chat history, memories or personal details, only aggregated figures such as views and clicks. But "not sold" is not the same as "not used". Your chats can train OpenAI's models unless you opt out. On Free and Go, ads are chosen using your conversations. And OpenAI's 2026 US privacy policy describes sharing limited data with marketing partners and personalised advertising, both with opt-outs.

The short answer

OpenAI's own wording, from its ads help page, is that it does not share your ChatGPT conversations with advertisers and never sells your data to advertisers. Its US privacy policy, updated in spring 2026, opens the relevant section with "We don't 'sell' Personal Data." That is the literal answer to the question. The useful answer is what happens to your data short of selling it.

What advertisers get

OpenAI began testing ads in ChatGPT on February 9, 2026, for Free and Go users, and has been rolling them out to more regions since. Per its help centre:

  • Advertisers do not get your chats, chat history, memories or personal details.
  • Advertisers receive only aggregated, non-identifying ad performance data, such as total views or clicks.
  • Ads do not influence ChatGPT's answers, and are labelled and kept separate.

What OpenAI itself uses

Not selling data to advertisers does not mean your data stays unused. Three things are worth knowing.

Ads are matched to your conversations. OpenAI says ads are chosen using the context of the conversation you are in, plus, if ad personalisation is on, wider signals from your ChatGPT use. The matching happens inside OpenAI; advertisers do not see the conversation.

Marketing partners and purchase data. OpenAI's US privacy policy, updated in spring 2026, says that depending on your choices it may share limited data with select marketing partners to promote its own products on other sites. Trade press reporting on the April 30 update noted that it also describes receiving purchase data from advertisers. The policy describes this as targeted advertising or sharing for cross-context behavioural advertising under some US state privacy laws, which is why it comes with an opt-out.

Training. Separately from ads, consumer chats can be used to train OpenAI's models while Improve the model for everyone is on. That is not selling, but it is a use of what you write. Details are in is ChatGPT private.

How to opt out

  • Ads: on Free and Go, turn off ad personalisation and clear ads data in ChatGPT's ad controls. OpenAI also says it offers an ad-free free option with additional limits, and paid plans from Plus up have no ads.
  • Marketing sharing: use the "Your Privacy Choices" link on OpenAI's privacy policy, or a browser that sends Global Privacy Control, which the policy says it honours.
  • Training: Settings, then Data controls, then turn off Improve the model for everyone.

Every control in one place is in ChatGPT's privacy settings, explained.

Why the word "sell" is doing a lot of work

Most large ad businesses say they do not sell personal data, and many of them are telling the truth in the narrow sense: they use it to target ads themselves instead of handing it over. Critics have made the same point about ChatGPT's ads since they were announced: even when data is not shared directly, an ad-funded model creates incentives around user data. That is a fair debate, not a scandal. The practical answer is simple: assume what you type can be used, and choose your settings and your plan accordingly. How the major assistants compare is in what each AI chatbot keeps.

Where nixm fits

nixm has no ads and does not train on conversations. nixm doesn't keep a transcript. A distilled log of the session stays with the signal for seven days, then dissolves, along with any images you uploaded.

frequently asked

Does ChatGPT sell your data?

OpenAI says no. It states it does not sell personal data and never shares your conversations with advertisers, who receive only aggregated figures such as views and clicks.

Can advertisers see my ChatGPT conversations?

No, per OpenAI. Advertisers do not have access to your chats, chat history, memories or personal details.

Does ChatGPT use my conversations for ads?

On Free and Go, yes, for matching: ads are chosen using your current conversation and, if ad personalisation is on, wider signals from your ChatGPT use. The matching happens inside OpenAI.

Does OpenAI share data with marketing partners?

Its 2026 US privacy policy says that, depending on your choices, it may share limited data with select marketing partners to promote its own products on other sites, with an opt-out.

How do I stop ChatGPT using my data?

Turn off Improve the model for everyone in Data controls, turn off ad personalisation on Free and Go, use the privacy policy's opt-out for marketing sharing, and use temporary chat for sensitive topics.

Do paid ChatGPT plans have ads?

No. OpenAI says plans from Plus up are ad-free.

Can I try nixm without an account?

Yes. Open nixm.ai and seed a signal, with no sign-up and no transcript kept.

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