OpenAI is compelled to retain deleted conversations from its ChatGPT platform indefinitely following a court ruling linked to a copyright lawsuit filed by The New York Times. In a statement released on Thursday, Brad Lightcap, the company’s chief operating officer, described the decision as an excessive measure that undermines established privacy standards and dilutes protections for users’ information.
A court issued an order last month mandating OpenAI to safeguard “all output log data that would otherwise be deleted.” This applies even if users request the removal of specific chats or if legal stipulations necessitate deletion. OpenAI’s current policy allows users to delete chats, with data retained for 30 days before it is permanently erased. This policy is now on hold until further directive from the court.
The implications of this order will affect users across all tiers—free, Pro, Plus, and Team—though it will not extend to ChatGPT Enterprise or ChatGPT Edu clients, nor to companies that have a zero data retention policy. OpenAI reassured that the stored data would remain confidential, accessible only to a select OpenAI legal and security team for legitimate legal purposes.
The lawsuits brought against OpenAI and Microsoft by The New York Times in 2023 allege copyright violations, claiming that the companies improperly used millions of the newspaper’s articles for the training of their AI systems. The newspaper contends that retaining user data may be vital in bolstering its legal case.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, voiced his concerns on X, stating, “We believe this was an inappropriate request that sets a dangerous precedent. We will contest any demands that jeopardize our users’ privacy; safeguarding user privacy is a fundamental principle for us.” The New York Times has not provided a comment on the matter.
