ChatGPT conversations are being indexed by Google

Users of OpenAI’s ChatGPT are having their prompts indexed on Google, exposing them to strangers and potentially leaking personal data.

ChatGPT users utilising the “share” feature, which allows them to share conversations with the chatbot with friends through URLs, have discovered that Google and other search engines are indexing the links, allowing them to be searched for and read by strangers.

According to reports, some users have discovered how to only search for pages with the chatgpt.com/share URL, allowing them to browse through people’s private conversations.

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While most conversations with the chatbot are unlikely to raise any alarm bells, an increased dependence on AI for daily use means that this could lead to personal data being exposed, including medical information for people using it to diagnose themselves, financial information, embarrassing stories, and more.

Users who use the chatbot for things like résumé writing would also be at risk, having to share large amounts of personal information like job history and contact information, and sharing these conversations with friends for feedback makes sense.

Making matters worse is that users of the share feature, until reading these media reports, would be completely unaware that sharing their conversations with friends and colleagues privately could make them public.

Google said the indexation of these pages is not controlled by them or any other search engine.

“Neither Google nor any other search engine controls what pages are made public on the web. Publishers of these pages have full control over whether they are indexed by search engines,” it said.

OpenAI has yet to comment on the matter or introduce a fix.

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This is not the first time private links have been indexed by search engines, after Google Drive users sharing data with the “anyone with the link” share option found their documents were being indexed.

Daniel Croft

Born in the heart of Western Sydney, Daniel Croft is a passionate journalist with an understanding for and experience writing in the technology space. Having studied at Macquarie University, he joined Momentum Media in 2022, writing across a number of publications including Australian Aviation, Cyber Security Connect and Defence Connect. Outside of writing, Daniel has a keen interest in music, and spends his time playing in bands around Sydney.

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ChatGPT conversations are being indexed by Google

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