Provision record
OpenAI · OpenAI Terms of Use · View original document ↗

Limitation of Liability

High severity Medium confidence Explicit document language Common · 287 of 352 platforms
Stay ahead of the changes
Track OpenAI and get the diff the day its terms change.
Share 𝕏 Share in Share 🔒 PDF
Document Record

What it is

If something goes wrong with ChatGPT and you suffer losses, OpenAI's maximum financial liability to you is limited to what you paid in the last 12 months or $100, whichever is more, and OpenAI is not liable for indirect losses at all.

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 terms cap OpenAI's aggregate liability at the amount paid in the prior 12 months or $100, which means that even paid subscribers have very limited financial recourse against OpenAI for service failures or harmful outputs.

Interpretive note: The exact liability cap figure and language were not directly extractable from the corrupted PDF; figures reflect the known limitation of liability provisions in OpenAI's publicly referenced Terms of Use and may have been updated in subsequent revisions.

Clause Stability Stable

0
Changes
5
Months Monitored
Apr 3, 2026
First Seen
May 22, 2026
Last Seen
This clause type exists across 4260 other provisions on other platforms.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

This provision limits OpenAI's total financial liability to each user to the lesser of 12 months of payments or $100, and excludes all indirect, consequential, and data loss damages, regardless of the severity of the issue or reliance on AI outputs.

How other platforms handle this

ActiveCampaign Medium

If you knowingly misrepresent that any activity or material on our Services is infringing, you may be liable to ActiveCampaign for certain costs and damages.

Leonardo AI Medium

A party's liability for any Liability under these Terms will be reduced proportionately to the extent the relevant Liability was caused or contributed to by the actions (or inactions) of the other party...

Netflix Medium

The Netflix service and/or some of the Netflix content may not be available at any time as a result of events beyond our reasonable control...we will not be held liable should such events occur.

See all platforms with this clause type →
▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, NEITHER OPENAI NOR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES OR LICENSORS WILL BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, OR DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, GOODWILL, USE, OR DATA OR OTHER LOSSES, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. OUR AGGREGATE LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR OUR SERVICES WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF THE AMOUNT YOU PAID FOR THE SERVICE IN THE PAST TWELVE MONTHS OR ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100).

Excerpt from OpenAI's Terms of Use

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (regulatory & governance intelligence)

1.

Insight

Unlock the full institutional analysis

Enforcement risk, jurisdiction flags, contract triggers, and due diligence action items.

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 →
  • State Attorney General
    State AGs in California, New York, Texas, and other states can investigate violations of state consumer protection and privacy laws, including CCPA (California), SHIELD Act (New York), and equivalents.
    Who can file: Residents of states with comprehensive privacy laws — primarily California, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, and Utah
    What you need: Evidence of the violation, explanation of how your state rights were affected, and your account or contact information with the company
    What to expect: Outcomes vary by state. May result in investigation, enforcement action, or requirement for the company to change practices. No direct individual compensation in most cases.

    Search "[your state] attorney general consumer complaint" to find your state's direct complaint form

Applicable regulations

EU AI Act - High Risk Provisions
EU
FTC Act Section 5
United States Federal

Provision details

Document information
Document
OpenAI Terms of Use
Entity
OpenAI
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
March 10, 2026
Last verified
May 12, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-000078
Document ID
CA-D-00009
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
6ae7df627f8ff0f0434212dde1986e4d1bfced272b18d29c3cea01e80cf3dbb0
Analysis generated
March 10, 2026 03:23 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: OpenAI
Document: OpenAI Terms of Use
Record ID: CA-P-000078
Captured: 2026-03-10 03:23:22 UTC
SHA-256: 6ae7df627f8ff0f0…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/openai/openai-terms-of-use/provision/CA-P-000078/limitation-of-liability/
Accessed: Aug. 25, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
High
Categories

Other risks in this policy

Get the research letter

Companies change their terms quietly. We read every version and catch what actually changed. One email a week on the changes that matter and what they mean.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does OpenAI's Limitation of Liability clause do?

The terms cap OpenAI's aggregate liability at the amount paid in the prior 12 months or $100, which means that even paid subscribers have very limited financial recourse against OpenAI for service failures or harmful outputs.

How does this clause affect you?

This provision limits OpenAI's total financial liability to each user to the lesser of 12 months of payments or $100, and excludes all indirect, consequential, and data loss damages, regardless of the severity of the issue or reliance on AI outputs.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 287 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with OpenAI?

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