Change record
CA-C-001608
OpenAI Privacy Policy
Entity
Date detected
May 5, 2026
Effective date
May 5, 2026
Severity
Direction
Negative
Taxonomy
Transparency removal
Changes
+2 sentences added · −6 sentences removed · 10 sentences modified

Impact Summary

Medium Negative for users
Affected users
All users Free tier users Go tier users Users in republic of korea

OpenAI removed language describing advertiser data partnerships and ad personalization controls for free users, while also removing the specific statement that free and go users could control ad personalization through account settings. The policy now presents a more general framework for direct marketing and promotional efforts. Additionally, OpenAI added a reference to a Korea Addendum for users in the Republic of Korea and changed the document title from 'US privacy policy' to 'Privacy policy'.

1 new obligation 1 obligation expanded 2 protections removed

Consumers: The policy no longer tells free users they have a specific tool in account settings to control how their data personalizes ads.

Consumers: The policy no longer explains that advertisers share purchase and other data with OpenAI to help measure ad effectiveness.

Consumers: OpenAI now explicitly states it will use your data to promote products on other websites and measure how well those promotions work.

Consumers: Users in South Korea must now review an additional legal document for their privacy rights instead of relying solely on the main policy.

Stay ahead of the changes
Track OpenAI and get the diff the day its terms change.
Share 𝕏 Share in Share 🔒 PDF

What this means for you

The updated policy no longer explicitly states that OpenAI receives information from advertisers and other data partners for ad measurement and improvement, nor does it mention that users can control what data is used to personalize ads shown on the service. The revised terms now establish a broader direct marketing authority, stating the company may promote products and services to users through direct marketing and on third-party properties to assess effectiveness, subject to user choices and controls. The policy adds a reference to a Korea Addendum for Korean users. You can review the linked resources to understand what choices and controls remain available.

What you can do

Review your account settings to identify what advertising controls remain available, as the policy no longer explicitly describes them.

For users in the Republic of Korea, consult the Korea Addendum referenced in the updated policy for jurisdiction-specific privacy rights and controls.

Historical Context

This is the 3rd significant Transparency Removal change OpenAI has made since ConductAtlas began monitoring.

ConductAtlas has recorded 4 material changes to this document over 56 days of monitoring (since March 2026). An additional minor or cosmetic changes were excluded.

3 of OpenAI's significant changes have been classified as negative for consumers.

Key Clauses Affected

Advertiser data partnerships disclosure

Removed statement that OpenAI receives information from advertisers and data partners for ad measurement purposes.

Ad personalization control for free users

Removed explicit disclosure that free and go users can use account settings to control ad personalization data.

Direct marketing and promotional authority

Expanded to explicitly authorize promoting products and services on third-party properties and assessing effectiveness of those efforts.

Full clause-by-clause analysis available with Insight.

This change record describes what was added, removed, or modified in the document. Analysis reflects what the updated agreement states or permits. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Applicability may vary by jurisdiction. Methodology

Evidence Verification

✓ Verified
Previous Version
6b353c1589a72be1536014a6333192a72a329bfe07d9e879dd16e0b7b3a60cbd
May 2, 2026 06:02 UTC
✓ Verified
Current Version
561942dbaa63797d40438f8e225dffa1686f56da2bda597dc89516aea867effb
May 5, 2026 07:59 UTC
✓ Verified
Change Detected
May 5, 2026 07:59 UTC
Analysis Methodology
✓ Verified
Source Document
https://openai.com/policies/privacy-policy
Citation Record
Entity: OpenAI
Document: OpenAI Privacy Policy
Record ID: CA-C-001608
Captured: 2026-05-05 07:59:51 UTC
URL: https://conductatlas.com/change/2026-05-05-openai-openai-privacy-policy-1608/
Accessed: Sept. 10, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
For legal and compliance teams

Institutional Analysis

Assessment

OpenAI removed disclosure language regarding advertiser data partnerships and free user ad personalization controls while simultaneously expanding the stated scope of direct marketing activities. For organizations relying on OpenAI's privacy representations in their own privacy …

🔒 Full institutional analysis

Regulatory exposure, obligation change, escalation trigger, board-ready language, and recommended action for legal and compliance teams.

Unlock the full institutional analysis — Insight

ConductAtlas provides verified policy intelligence sourced directly from platform documents. All analysis is intended to support, not replace, legal and compliance review. Record CA-C-001608.

Full Changes

View complete diff →

Document Context

Version history → Policy drift analysis → Document page →
Document
OpenAI Privacy Policy
Entity
OpenAI
Captured
May 5, 2026
Source URL
https://openai.com/policies/privacy-policy
Other changes to OpenAI Privacy Policy
Previous change May 2, 2026
OpenAI added a new statement clarifying that sensitive data is not processed to infer characteristics about users. The policy also …
Low Neutral
Next change May 9, 2026
OpenAI's Privacy Policy was updated on May 9, 2026 with a single language modification in the document header. The change …
Low Neutral
View full version history →
More from OpenAI
Sep 10, 2026 Low
OpenAI GPT-5.5 System Card

OpenAI's GPT-5.5 System Card title was reformatted in an update detected on September 10, 2026. The document header changed from …

Sep 10, 2026 Low
OpenAI GPT-5 System Card

OpenAI's GPT-5 System Card was reformatted to include the document title 'GPT-5 System Card | OpenAI' at the beginning. The …

Sep 10, 2026 Low
OpenAI Frontier Governance Framework

OpenAI's Frontier Governance Framework page was modified in an update detected on September 10, 2026. A loading indicator was removed …

Related Analysis
Regulatory Analysis · July 8, 2026
The AI Foundation Model Transparency Act, Explained

H.R. 8094 would make the FTC the referee for AI model disclosure. It also names system cards as a way to comply, which turns a voluntary in…

Regulatory Analysis · June 28, 2026
The Great American AI Act, Explained: What the First Federal AI Law Would Require

The bill does not regulate most AI startups directly. But it changes the companies they depend on. Here is what the first federal AI law wo…

Platform Analysis · June 12, 2026
OpenAI Changed Its Privacy Policy 4 Times in One Week. Here Is What Actually Changed.

Ad personalization controls removed. Contact scanning added. Advertiser data partnerships quietly dropped. A timeline of every change.

Get the research letter

Companies change their terms quietly. We read every version and catch what actually changed. One email a week on the changes that matter and what they mean.

Stay ahead of the changes

Track OpenAI policy changes

Get alerted when this policy changes again, including what changed and why it matters.

All OpenAI changes →