OpenAI · Usage Policies · View original document ↗

Prohibition on Electoral and Political Manipulation

Medium severity Unique · 0 of 325 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 OpenAI's operational boundary regarding political and electoral applications of its services. By categorizing influence operations as prohibited uses, the policy defines excluded use cases that the company does not authorize through its standard terms of service.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Users are restricted from deploying OpenAI's services to build influence operation infrastructure, generate division-focused content, create political advertising materials, or construct ideology-based targeting mechanisms. The terms require users to refrain from these specific applications as a condition of service access.

How other platforms handle this

Midjourney Medium

Do not generate images for political campaigns or to try to influence the outcome of an election. Do not generate images to spread misinformation or disinformation.

Runway Medium

You may not use Runway's tools to build or support systems designed for mass surveillance, tracking of individuals without their consent, or the unlawful monitoring of protected groups or activities.

Character.AI Medium

Avoid Professional Advice: Don't seek to receive or provide medical, legal, financial, or tax advice through the platform.

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
Influence operations — such as building tools designed to run influence operations, generating content designed to sow division or used for political ads, propaganda, or targeting strategies based on political ideology.

— Excerpt from OpenAI's 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
Usage Policies
Entity
OpenAI
Document last updated
March 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
March 10, 2026
Last verified
May 12, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-001977
Document ID
CA-D-00005
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
d69a24617758e5b44e4be8eedeceb598a26dc4e280f2ab1469a45b64203e7403
Analysis generated
March 10, 2026 03:28 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: OpenAI
Document: Usage Policies
Record ID: CA-P-001977
Captured: 2026-03-10 03:28:59 UTC
SHA-256: d69a24617758e5b4…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/openai/usage-policies/prohibition-on-electoral-and-political-manipulation/
Accessed: May 20, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does OpenAI's Prohibition on Electoral and Political Manipulation clause do?

This provision establishes OpenAI's operational boundary regarding political and electoral applications of its services. By categorizing influence operations as prohibited uses, the policy defines excluded use cases that the company does not authorize through its standard terms of service.

How does this clause affect you?

Users are restricted from deploying OpenAI's services to build influence operation infrastructure, generate division-focused content, create political advertising materials, or construct ideology-based targeting mechanisms. The terms require users to refrain from these specific applications as a condition of service access.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with OpenAI?

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