OpenAI Sued for Sharing ChatGPT User Data with Meta, Google

A class action filed in U.S. federal court in California accuses OpenAI of disclosing ChatGPT users’ queries, account identifiers and email addresses to Meta and Google by embedding the companies’ tracking code on ChatGPT.com.

The complaint says tracking tools provided by Meta and Google for analytics and advertising were added to OpenAI’s site and transmitted user information automatically. Plaintiffs allege the data included query topics, account IDs and email addresses tied to individual accounts and say users had a reasonable expectation that inputs to the chatbot would remain private.

Filed on behalf of United States residents who entered queries on ChatGPT.com, the suit notes that many users ask sensitive health, financial and legal questions. The complaint cites a Cyberhaven estimate that roughly 1% of material employees paste into ChatGPT is confidential.

The plaintiffs seek monetary damages and an injunction to stop the alleged practice. OpenAI is the sole named defendant in the filing; Meta and Google are identified as recipients of the transmitted data.

The case centers on pixel-based or embedded tracking tools commonly used for site analytics and ad targeting. The complaint alleges those tools allowed session data to flow from ChatGPT to advertising networks without consumers’ consent and says the outcome may turn on how courts interpret consumer privacy expectations and what disclosures OpenAI provided at signup.

The filing comes after prior legal and regulatory actions related to AI data practices, including a 2023 class action against OpenAI over personal data used for model training, a similar complaint earlier this year against another AI company, a Japanese privacy authority probe and a GDPR complaint filed by the privacy group NOYB. Google has faced litigation alleging improper use of personal data to train AI systems.

The complaint was filed as OpenAI prepares for an expected initial public offering and after reports that the company missed revenue and user targets. Hearings have not been scheduled and OpenAI has not publicly responded to the allegations. The filing asks the court to certify a nationwide class and to order remedies if the plaintiffs prevail.