Shared ChatGPT logs exposed on Google search

Users who share their ChatGPT chats via the "Share" button may unintentionally make them visible to everyone in Google search results. Some of these pages contain sensitive information, ranging from personal stories to identifying details.

Fast Company writes about this issue.

How chats end up in search results?

Google indexes all content on the open web, so links to ChatGPT chats that users make public appear in search results. A simple search for a unique link generated when clicking "Share" opens conversations in which people share personal details, including information about their addictions, experiences with physical abuse, and serious mental health issues. Although the ChatGPT interface does not show names, users sometimes reveal their identities through specific details about their lives.

When people click "Share," they often forward the conversation to their friends or save the URL for themselves, hardly expecting the page to end up in Google's index and become accessible to anyone. Currently, a Google search returns almost 4,500 such conversations, but this is not necessarily a complete list because Google does not index all pages. Due to the sensitive nature of these topics, examples of such chats are not provided or linked.

The context of this finding is particularly alarming: According to surveys, nearly half of Americans have turned to large language models for psychological support in the past year. Three-quarters sought help with anxiety, two-thirds sought advice on personal issues, and nearly six in ten sought help with depression. Unlike a conversation with a therapist, which is confidential, transcripts of chats with AI can appear in regular searches.

Fortunately, website owners can remove pages from search results, and ChatGPT's shared links are not indexed by default — they must be deliberately made searchable. Users are also warned not to post sensitive data and can delete shared links.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently cautioned users against sharing their most intimate details on ChatGPT, as the company may be legally obligated to provide this data by court order.

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