OpenAI’s ChatGPT platform recently included a feature allowing users to generate a URL of their chatbot interactions for sharing with friends or colleagues. Reports indicate that some of these shared conversations were visible through search engines like Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo. Specifically, users could find these chats by filtering search results to a particular ChatGPT domain. OpenAI has since confirmed that this experimental feature has been discontinued.
Private ChatGPT Conversations Reportedly Indexed by Search Engines
Fast Company first reported on the issue, noting that queries using the domain filter “site:chatgpt.com/share” followed by any text could yield a list of links to various user conversations with the chatbot. The publication’s investigation uncovered over 4,500 chats, though the total number of discoverable conversations is believed to be significantly higher.
While many of these conversations do not contain personal information or details that can identify users, some discussions have reportedly included names, locations, and other personal data. TechCrunch found an instance where a user requested ChatGPT to revise their resume for a job application, leading to the identification of the individual’s LinkedIn account based on the context provided.
Dane Stuckey, OpenAI’s Chief Information Security Officer, addressed the matter in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He explained that the issue stemmed from an experimental feature intended to help users find valuable conversations. This feature, accessible to a limited number of users, required individuals to generate a shareable link and voluntarily opt to make their conversations public. This feature has now been disabled, and Stuckey shared a screenshot of the interface involved.
The interface of the experimental feature along with the opt-in checkbox
Photo Credit: X/@cryps1s (Dane Stuckey)
Stuckey further emphasized that security and privacy are top priorities for OpenAI. He acknowledged that the feature “introduced too many opportunities for folks to accidentally share things they didn’t intend to” and stated that it would be removed. The executive also mentioned that OpenAI is actively working to eliminate the indexed content from relevant search engines. At the time of this reporting, staff members from Gadgets 360 were unable to locate any of these indexed conversations.
