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Absolute Prohibitions (Hardcoded Off-Limits Uses)

High severity High confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Unique · 0 of 343 platforms
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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)

This provision establishes use restrictions that apply irrespective of how users attempt to direct model behavior, creating binding operational boundaries on the service. The hardcoded nature of these prohibitions means they operate as non-negotiable constraints on permitted applications rather than guidelines subject to contextual judgment.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Users are prohibited from directing OpenAI models toward these specified use cases, and the restriction applies regardless of framing or instruction methods employed. The terms establish that these categories of use are not authorized under any circumstances of service use.

How other platforms handle this

Teachable Medium

You agree not to post, upload, publish, submit or transmit any content that: (i) infringes, misappropriates or violates a third party's patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret, moral rights or other intellectual property rights, or rights of publicity or privacy; (ii) violates, or encourages any ...

Wise Medium

You may not use our Services for any illegal purpose or in violation of any laws or regulations. You may not use the Services to send money to sanctioned countries or individuals on government watchlists. You may not use the Services for gambling, illegal drugs, weapons, or any other prohibited acti...

Redfin Medium

You may not automatedly crawl or query the Services for any purpose or by any means (including, without limitation, screen and database scraping, spiders, robots, crawlers and any other automated activity with the purpose of obtaining information from the Services) unless you have received prior exp...

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
Regardless of operator and user instructions, OpenAI prohibits use of its models or products for: generating CSAM or detailed sexual content involving minors; providing serious uplift to those seeking to create biological, chemical, nuclear, or radiological weapons with potential for mass casualties; creating cyberweapons or malicious code that could cause significant damage if deployed; generating content designed to facilitate actual (not fictional) violence against specific real people or groups; and taking actions that meaningfully undermine the ability of legitimate principals to oversee and correct advanced AI models.

— Excerpt from OpenAI's OpenAI Usage Policies

Applicable regulations

CFAA
United States Federal
DMCA
United States Federal
DSA
European Union
Trump Executive Order on AI Policy Framework
US

Provision details

Document information
Document
OpenAI Usage Policies
Entity
OpenAI
Document last updated
May 11, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 11, 2026
Last verified
May 12, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-010647
Document ID
CA-D-00753
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
7bc76af79d3d7702e7ce284199b0b15a9dc7dd89f62958bd0823240c00eaab06
Analysis generated
May 11, 2026 12:43 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: OpenAI
Document: OpenAI Usage Policies
Record ID: CA-P-010647
Captured: 2026-05-11 12:43:28 UTC
SHA-256: 7bc76af79d3d7702…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/openai/openai-usage-policies/absolute-prohibitions-hardcoded-off-limits-uses/
Accessed: July 4, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
High
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does OpenAI's Absolute Prohibitions (Hardcoded Off-Limits Uses) clause do?

This provision establishes use restrictions that apply irrespective of how users attempt to direct model behavior, creating binding operational boundaries on the service. The hardcoded nature of these prohibitions means they operate as non-negotiable constraints on permitted applications rather than guidelines subject to contextual judgment.

How does this clause affect you?

Users are prohibited from directing OpenAI models toward these specified use cases, and the restriction applies regardless of framing or instruction methods employed. The terms establish that these categories of use are not authorized under any circumstances of service use.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with OpenAI?

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