OpenAI's services are not meant for children under 13, and OpenAI says it will delete data from children under 13 if discovered, but the policy relies on self-reported age rather than technical verification.
This analysis describes what OpenAI's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
This provision reflects OpenAI's compliance framework under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and establishes the operational process by which the company addresses unauthorized collection of data from minors under 13. It creates a mechanism for parental notification and remediation of potential age-restricted access.
The updated policy removes language describing how OpenAI uses advertiser and data partner information to personalize ads and measure ad effectiveness. The policy also removes the specific mechanism Free and Go users previously had to control ad personalization through account settings. In exchange, the policy adds explicit authorization for OpenAI to identify which of a user's contacts use OpenAI services and to monitor all content submitted on the platform for fraud and misuse detection. The authorization to monitor content and identify contacts now appears in the main policy purposes section rather than in supplementary documentation. You can review the Korea Addendum if you are located in South Korea to understand region-specific privacy rules.
View change record →The updated policy removes language that previously described ad personalization controls available to Free and Go users through account settings, though the policy continues to authorize OpenAI to personalize ads and measure their effectiveness for these user tiers. Previously, the policy explicitly stated that 'For Free and Go users, you can use the advertising controls in your account settings to control what data we use to personalize the ads we show you on our Services.' This language is no longer present in the updated version. The policy still lists ad personalization as an authorized use of personal data for Free and Go users, but no longer explicitly describes how users can access controls to manage this practice. You should verify whether advertising controls remain functional in your OpenAI account settings, as the policy no longer explicitly references them.
View change record →The updated policy removes specific language stating that OpenAI receives advertiser data to personalize ads shown to Free and Go users. It also removes reference to account-level advertising controls previously described in account settings. These removals are replaced with broader language authorizing OpenAI to promote products through direct marketing and third-party properties, subject to choices and controls, but the terms no longer explicitly describe what advertiser data is collected, from whom, or how to manage it at the account level. The policy now requires users to follow a 'learn more' link to understand ad personalization controls, rather than documenting those controls directly in the privacy policy.
View change record →Children under 13 are technically prohibited from using OpenAI's services, but the lack of age verification means minors may use ChatGPT and have their personal data collected and potentially used for AI training before any corrective action is taken.
How other platforms handle this
The Service is intended for general audiences and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child under the age of 13 has provided us with personal information without your cons...
Our Services are not directed to children under 13. If you learn that anyone younger than 13 has unlawfully provided us with personal data, please contact us at privacy@medium.com.
To access and use the Services, you must be at least the age of majority in the state, province, or territory where you live or at least 18 years of age. If you are under the age of 13, you may not use the Services and you should not be visiting the Sites or using the Services.
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"Our Services are not directed to children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided personal information to OpenAI without your consent, please contact us at privacy@openai.com. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without parental consent, we will delete that information as quickly as possible.— Excerpt from OpenAI's OpenAI Privacy Policy
(1) REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act), 15 U.S.C. §§6501-6506 and 16 C.F.R. Part 312, prohibits collection of personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. FTC enforcement authority. EU GDPR Art. 8 sets the age of digital consent at 16 (or lower as set by member states, minimum 13). UK Age Appropriate Design Code (Children's Code) imposes additional design obligations. (2)
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This provision reflects OpenAI's compliance framework under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and establishes the operational process by which the company addresses unauthorized collection of data from minors under 13. It creates a mechanism for parental notification and remediation of potential age-restricted access.
Children under 13 are technically prohibited from using OpenAI's services, but the lack of age verification means minors may use ChatGPT and have their personal data collected and potentially used for AI training before any corrective action is taken.
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