OpenAI · OpenAI Terms of Use · View original document ↗

Acceptable Use Policy (Prohibited Uses)

Medium severity Unique · 0 of 343 platforms
Share 𝕏 Share in Share 🔒 PDF
Recent governance activity OpenAI recorded 30 documented changes in the last 30 days.
Start monitoring updates
Monitor governance changes for OpenAI Create a free account to receive the weekly governance digest and monitor one platform for governance changes.
Create free account No credit card required.
Document Record

What it is

OpenAI prohibits using its services for illegal activities, generating harmful content, misleading others, or violating others' rights, and violations can result in account termination.

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)

Violations of the acceptable use policy can result in permanent loss of account access, including for paid subscribers, without a clearly defined appeals process.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

OpenAI's Terms require users to resolve most disputes through binding arbitration rather than in court, and include a class action waiver that limits collective legal remedies. OpenAI also claims a broad license to use content you submit to improve its models, and can suspend or terminate accounts at its discretion. You can opt out of the mandatory arbitration clause by notifying OpenAI in writing within 30 days of creating your account at https://openai.com/policies/row-terms-of-use/.

Cross-platform context

See how other platforms handle Acceptable Use Policy (Prohibited Uses) and similar clauses.

Compare across platforms →

Monitoring

OpenAI has changed this document before.

Receive same-day alerts, structured change summaries, and monitoring for up to 25 platforms.

Start Monitor free trial Or create a free account →
ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

The acceptable use framework aligns with emerging EU AI Act prohibited use categories and creates compliance obligations for API operators who deploy OpenAI models to end users; enterprise buyers inherit responsibility for ensuring downstream compliance.

Full compliance analysis

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

Track 1 platform — free Try Monitor free for 14 days

Free: track 1 platform + weekly digest. Monitor: 25 platforms + same-day alerts. No credit card required.

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

California AB 2013 AI Training Data Transparency
US-CA
DMCA
United States Federal
DSA
European Union

Provision details

Document information
Document
OpenAI Terms of Use
Entity
OpenAI
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
March 7, 2026
Last verified
March 9, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-00009007
Document ID
CA-D-00009
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
3a064f11bc2cb0f491e5ad76938f2712026c1d020c9f8b50528f8c7b639a4f7f
Analysis generated
March 7, 2026 12:16 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: OpenAI
Document: OpenAI Terms of Use
Record ID: CA-P-00009007
Captured: 2026-03-07 12:16:22 UTC
SHA-256: 3a064f11bc2cb0f4…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/openai/openai-terms-of-use/acceptable-use-policy-prohibited-uses/
Accessed: June 10, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

Other risks in this policy

Compliance Governance Intelligence

Need to monitor specific governance provisions?

Compliance includes provision-level monitoring, governance timelines, regulatory mapping, and audit-ready analysis.

Arbitration clauses AI governance Data rights Indemnification Retention policies
Start Compliance free trial

Or start with Monitor →

Built from archived source documents, structured governance mappings, and historical version tracking.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does OpenAI's Acceptable Use Policy (Prohibited Uses) clause do?

Violations of the acceptable use policy can result in permanent loss of account access, including for paid subscribers, without a clearly defined appeals process.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with OpenAI?

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