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October 2, 2025
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OpenAI has removed a controversial feature in ChatGPT that allowed users to share conversations publicly. That feature made those conversations searchable on Google and other search engines.
Many users have shared their personal data or sensitive information unconsciously by clicking the “Make Link Discoverable” option.
OpenAI is now working with Google and other search companies to remove thousands of these conversations that have made their way into search results. One in a series of steps the company is taking to boost user privacy and reconstruct confidence forests
If you ever shared a ChatGPT conversation using the app’s “Share” feature, you might have made that conversation viewable online for everyone, even appearing in Google search results.
Fast Company published a story last week on thousands of these shared conversations that are now findable on search engines, some with personal information, sometimes including sensitive or confidential details.
In ChatGPT, if a user clicked on “Share,” the platform would generate a public link that could be accessed by anyone. What most users failed to realize is that these links could be visible not just to Pinterest engineers but also search engines like Google and thus show up in search results.
With a simple search on Google, (site:chatgpt.com/share) showed more than 4,500 public chats. This covered much from this category of mental health discussions, relationships, work issues and other personal topics.
If you delete the link, there are chances that it will still be visible through cached pages or until Google updates its index.
OpenAI does not show usernames or personal profiles belonging to shared chats. However, if you were talking about someone with names, email addresses, job information or the like, you might have just leaked more than you realized.
The Risks Associated With It:
Ways to secure your conversations:
It is a clear example of how digital privacy can be invaded, often through no fault of our own. As our dependence on AI tools increases for writing, researching, ideation, it’s a good reminder that we should treat these conversations like emails or documents stored online.
Even if a platform feels private, it may not be. Of course, once something hits the web there are few ways to permanently erase it.
The tools may seem to be more private than they actually are. However, the internet never forgets, even when you clear your search history or delete a link.
If you need more information regarding this, contact DigiEvolve today!
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