The policy states that deletion requests result in data removal within 30 days, subject to multiple retention carve-outs including legal obligations, fraud and abuse purposes, security reasons, financial record-keeping, and retention of data from banned accounts. Additionally, data already de-identified and used for model training prior to deletion is not subject to the 30-day deletion commitment.
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 establishes the conditions under which OpenAI will not fulfill a deletion request within the standard 30-day window, including a broadly stated 'fraud and abuse' carve-out applicable to banned accounts. The de-identification exception for model training data means that content contributed to model training prior to deletion may persist in model weights or training datasets even after account deletion.
The updated policy explicitly discloses that OpenAI receives information from advertisers and other data partners for Free and Go users, and uses this data to personalize ads and measure ad effectiveness. The policy now states that Free and Go users can control what data OpenAI uses to personalize ads through advertising controls in account settings. This represents clarified disclosure of an existing practice rather than a new authorization.
View change record →The updated privacy policy now explicitly states that OpenAI receives information from advertisers and other data partners, which is used to personalize ads shown to Free and Go users and to measure the effectiveness of those ads. For example, the policy notes that OpenAI could receive information about purchases users make from advertisers. The policy now includes a dedicated section on ad personalization and measurement as a primary use of personal data for these user tiers. You can manage what data OpenAI uses for ad personalization by accessing the advertising controls in your account settings or by using the Data Controls option.
View change record →The updated policy now explicitly authorizes OpenAI to promote products and services to users through direct marketing on third-party properties and to share limited information with select marketing partners (who are not service providers) to support these efforts. The policy states that some marketing partners may receive information through cookies and similar technologies. The revised terms establish that these marketing practices are subject to user choices and controls, with additional information and opt-out options available. You can make choices about the use of your information for third-party product promotion purposes through controls referenced in the policy.
View change record →Under this provision, a deletion request will be processed within 30 days unless one of several carve-outs applies, including fraud, security, legal obligations, or financial record-keeping. Content that was de-identified and used for model training prior to a deletion request may not be retrievable or removable, as the policy states OpenAI will not attempt to re-identify de-identified data.
Cross-platform context
See how other platforms handle Data Retention After Deletion Requests and similar clauses.
Compare across platforms →"Once you choose to delete Personal Data, we will remove it from our systems within 30 days unless we need to retain it for longer as described below, or it has already been de-identified and disassociated from your account when you allow us to use your Content to improve our models. ... In some cases, we need to retain Personal Data for longer even after you delete it, for example because we are legally required to, to address fraud and abuse, for security reasons, or for financial record-keeping purposes. For instance: If specific Content, or your account, is banned because of violations of our usage policies, we may retain that data for to protect our services from fraud, abuse, or other violations of our policies.Excerpt from OpenAI's Privacy Policy
(1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: CCPA and CPRA provide California residents with a right to deletion subject to enumerated exceptions; compliance teams should assess whether the carve-outs described in this policy align with the statutory exceptions under …
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This provision establishes the conditions under which OpenAI will not fulfill a deletion request within the standard 30-day window, including a broadly stated 'fraud and abuse' carve-out applicable to banned accounts. The de-identification exception for model training data means that content contributed to model training prior to deletion may persist in model weights or training datasets even after account deletion.
Under this provision, a deletion request will be processed within 30 days unless one of several carve-outs applies, including fraud, security, legal obligations, or financial record-keeping. Content that was de-identified and used for model training prior to a deletion request may not be retrievable or removable, as the policy states OpenAI will not attempt to re-identify de-identified data.
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