OpenAI · OpenAI Terms of Use

Account Termination Rights

High severity
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What it is

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Services at any time for any reason, including if we reasonably believe you have violated these Terms.

Why it matters

OpenAI retains essentially unilateral termination rights with minimal procedural constraints, which means paid subscribers can lose access to ChatGPT Plus or API services without a defined notice period, appeal process, or automatic refund entitlement.

Consumer impact

OpenAI's Terms of Use affect consumers primarily through the default permission for OpenAI to use conversation data — including prompts and AI outputs — to improve its AI models, which means sensitive or personal information shared with ChatGPT may be retained and analyzed beyond the immediate session. Minors under 13 are prohibited from using the services, and those aged 13–17 require verifiable parental consent, but the adequacy of age verification mechanisms is not detailed in the terms themselves. You can opt out of having your conversations used for model training by navigating to your ChatGPT account settings and disabling the 'Improve the model for everyone' toggle.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.
  • Close Your Account
    To close your OpenAI account proactively, go to ChatGPT Settings, select the 'General' tab, scroll to 'Delete Account', and follow the prompts. Cancel any active subscription first to avoid continued billing.

Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    Unilateral termination of paid subscription services without defined notice or refund procedures may constitute an unfair practice under FTC Act Section 5, particularly for ChatGPT Plus subscribers.
    File a complaint →
  • State AG
    State consumer protection statutes, particularly California's CLRA and UCL, may apply to arbitrary termination of paid consumer subscriptions without refund.
    File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information
Document
OpenAI Terms of Use
Entity
OpenAI
Document last updated
March 24, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
March 10, 2026
Last verified
April 4, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-002001
Document ID
CA-D-00009
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
SHA-256
6ae7df627f8ff0f0434212dde1986e4d1bfced272b18d29c3cea01e80cf3dbb0
Verified
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Change verified
How to Cite
ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: OpenAI | Document: OpenAI Terms of Use | Record: CA-P-002001
Captured: 2026-03-10 03:23:22 UTC | SHA-256: 6ae7df627f8ff0f0…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/openai/openai-terms-of-use/account-termination-rights/
Accessed: April 4, 2026
Classification
Severity
High
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