OpenAI sued in California over alleged ChatGPT data sharing
A federal class action alleges OpenAI sent ChatGPT users’ queries, account identifiers and emails to Meta and Google via embedded tracking code without consumer consent.
A class action filed in U.S. federal court in California alleges OpenAI transmitted ChatGPT users’ queries, account identifiers and email addresses to Meta and Google through embedded tracking code on ChatGPT.com without consumer consent.
The suit covers U.S. residents who entered queries on ChatGPT.com and seeks monetary damages and an injunction to stop the practice.
The complaint alleges OpenAI placed tracking code provided by Meta and Google on the ChatGPT website and allowed that code to send data automatically to the two companies. The filing identifies the data as query topics, account identifiers and email addresses tied to individual accounts.
Plaintiffs assert many users ask the chatbot about financial, medical and legal matters and had a reasonable expectation that those inputs would remain private. The filing cites a report by cybersecurity firm Cyberhaven estimating about 1% of data employees paste into ChatGPT is confidential and extends that concern to individuals seeking personal advice.
The complaint names OpenAI as the sole defendant and identifies Meta and Google only as recipients of the data, not as parties to the suit. Plaintiffs request the court bar OpenAI from embedding or allowing third-party advertising and analytics code that transmits user inputs.
The case follows earlier legal and regulatory scrutiny of consumer-facing AI services. A 2023 class action challenged OpenAI’s use of personal data to train models. Regulators in multiple jurisdictions, including a Japanese privacy agency, have opened inquiries and a privacy group filed a complaint under the EU’s data protection rules.
Earlier this year a separate lawsuit accused Perplexity AI of permitting Meta and Google tracking code to collect user inputs. Google is also facing litigation over alleged use of personal data to train AI models. Pixel-based monitoring and third-party tracking have become a focus in several recent privacy cases.
The filing notes that a prolonged legal dispute could affect OpenAI’s regulatory reviews and investor scrutiny as the company prepares for a potential initial public offering. How courts decide may depend on users’ privacy expectations and the disclosures OpenAI provided at account creation.
No hearings have been scheduled and OpenAI has not publicly responded to the complaint. Plaintiffs are asking the court to award damages and to enjoin the alleged transmission of user data to advertising and analytics services.
