OpenAI · OpenAI Privacy Policy · View original document ↗

Safety and Legal Disclosure

Medium severity Unique · 0 of 325 platforms
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Recent governance activity OpenAI recorded 11 documented changes in the last 30 days.
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Document Record

What it is

OpenAI may share your personal data with law enforcement, government agencies, or other parties when required by law or to protect safety and prevent harm.

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

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

The provision defines the operational framework under which OpenAI handles mandatory disclosure requests and establishes the company's authority to share user information without explicit consent when legal obligations or safety circumstances apply. This creates a procedural pathway for data disclosure independent of the standard privacy controls.

Recent Activity

This document changed recently

Medium May 14, 2026

The updated policy now explicitly states four privacy rights that apply depending on your location and subject to applicable exceptions: the right to know about and access your personal data in portable format, the right to request deletion, the right to correct inaccurate data, and the right to be free from retaliation for exercising these rights. Previously, the policy referenced these rights only through procedural language about how to submit requests. The explicit enumeration establishes clearer notice of what protections the policy recognizes. You can exercise these rights by submitting a request through privacy.openai.com or dsar@openai.com.

View change record →
Medium May 11, 2026

The updated policy now explicitly discloses that OpenAI receives information from advertisers and data partners, including details about purchases you make, and uses this data to personalize ads shown to Free and Go users. Previously, the policy referenced ad effectiveness measurement without disclosing the specific source (advertiser data) or the personalization component. Under the revised terms, Free and Go users can use advertising controls in account settings to control what data OpenAI uses to personalize ads. You can access these controls through your OpenAI account settings to adjust ad personalization.

View change record →
Medium May 5, 2026

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.

View change record →

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

If compelled by a court order, subpoena, or legal process, OpenAI may disclose your personal data to government agencies or third parties without prior notice to you, potentially affecting your confidentiality.

How other platforms handle this

Meta Medium

We may access, preserve, and share information with regulators, law enforcement, or others if we believe it is reasonably necessary to: detect, prevent, and address fraud and other illegal activity; protect ourselves, you, and others, including as part of investigations; and prevent death or imminen...

Waze Medium

We may disclose your information to third parties if we believe that disclosure is in accordance with, or required by, any applicable law or legal process, including lawful requests by public authorities to meet national security or law enforcement requirements. We may also disclose information if w...

YouTube Kids Medium

We will share individual user information with companies, organizations or individuals outside of Google if we have a good-faith belief that access, use, preservation or disclosure of the information is reasonably necessary to: meet any applicable law, regulation, legal process or enforceable govern...

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ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

Government disclosure provisions must comply with applicable legal process requirements and GDPR's restrictions on third-country authority access; organizations processing sensitive data on OpenAI's platform should assess residual legal exposure from law enforcement access.

Full compliance analysis

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

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Applicable agencies

  • Federal Trade Commission (ftc)
    Oversees unfair or deceptive business practices and can investigate companies that mislead consumers about data collection, sharing, or use.
    Who can file: Anyone affected by the company's practices (US or international)
    What you need: Your account details, a timeline of relevant events, and a description of the specific issue
    What to expect: Complaints inform FTC enforcement priorities and investigations but do not result in individual resolution or compensation
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

BIPA
Illinois, USA
CCPA/CPRA
California, USA
Connecticut Data Privacy Act Amendments
US-CT
CAN-SPAM
United States Federal
FTC Act Section 5
United States Federal
GDPR
European Union
Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act
US-IN
Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act
US-KY
UK GDPR
United Kingdom
Universal Opt-Out Mechanism Expansion 2026
US

Provision details

Document information
Document
OpenAI Privacy Policy
Entity
OpenAI
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
March 10, 2026
Last verified
March 10, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-000091
Document ID
CA-D-00010
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
2fbe11109feaf5b40033ad817b9480e0b1331745ab8bb7c3c35c4c1a6b84f387
Analysis generated
March 10, 2026 03:26 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: OpenAI
Document: OpenAI Privacy Policy
Record ID: CA-P-000091
Captured: 2026-03-10 03:26:08 UTC
SHA-256: 2fbe11109feaf5b4…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/openai/openai-privacy-policy/safety-and-legal-disclosure/
Accessed: May 20, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

Other risks in this policy

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does OpenAI's Safety and Legal Disclosure clause do?

The provision defines the operational framework under which OpenAI handles mandatory disclosure requests and establishes the company's authority to share user information without explicit consent when legal obligations or safety circumstances apply. This creates a procedural pathway for data disclosure independent of the standard privacy controls.

How does this clause affect you?

If compelled by a court order, subpoena, or legal process, OpenAI may disclose your personal data to government agencies or third parties without prior notice to you, potentially affecting your confidentiality.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with OpenAI?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by OpenAI.