Does ChatGPT Train on Your Data? What OpenAI’s Own Policy Says
Yes, by default. PolicyPeek gives ChatGPT the badge Trains by default, you can opt out. Its page says: “ChatGPT’s published policy says it may train on your data, but you can opt out.” (ChatGPT on PolicyPeek)
Last checked: 28 October 2026. Verdicts come from each company’s own published policy, read by PolicyPeek. Not legal advice.
What OpenAI says
From OpenAI’s help article on how your data is used, as read by PolicyPeek on 28 October 2026:
“When you use our services for individuals (Free, Plus, Pro), we may use your content to train our models.”
“By default, we don’t use inputs or outputs from ChatGPT Business, ChatGPT Enterprise, ChatGPT Edu, or our API to improve our models.”
OpenAI’s help centre is closed to automated reads, so this verdict was entered by hand from a person’s reading of the page.
Can you stop ChatGPT training on your chats?
Yes. OpenAI’s help article says: “To opt out, turn off Improve the model for everyone under Settings > Data controls in ChatGPT, or select Do not train on my content in our Privacy Portal.” PolicyPeek notes that conversations you give feedback on may still be used. (ChatGPT on PolicyPeek)
How long does ChatGPT keep your data?
The facts PolicyPeek pulled from OpenAI’s privacy policy on 1 September 2026 say: (ChatGPT on PolicyPeek)
- Personal data is kept as long as needed to provide the services, or for legitimate business purposes such as resolving disputes, safety, security and legal compliance.
- Data you delete is removed within 30 days of the deletion request, unless it has to be kept for safety or legal reasons.
- Temporary Chats are deleted automatically within 30 days, with the same exception.
- The policy mentions GDPR.
Why it’s “you can opt out” and not “doesn’t train”
PolicyPeek keeps “you can opt out” separate from the green badge on purpose. An opt-out is a real protection, but it’s weaker than not training by default, because you have to find the setting and switch it off yourself. (Methodology)
How does ChatGPT compare with other AI tools?
On 5 Nov 2026, PolicyPeek rated 61 tools. 15 had Doesn’t train on your data, 21 had Trains by default, you can opt out, 15 had Trains on your data, no opt-out and 5 had Policy unclear. 4 more had only a company-wide policy, and 1 isn’t an AI tool. (All tools)
Some other tools in the opt-out group: Claude (consumer plans; PolicyPeek notes that commercial plans don’t train by default), GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Mistral Vibe and Grammarly. (All tools)
If you’d rather use a tool that doesn’t train by default, see the Doesn’t train on your data list.
How PolicyPeek decides
An AI model extracts the facts from the policy, then fixed rules decide the badge. Every verdict comes from the company’s own published policies. Uncertain results are held for human review, and a good verdict for a tool that’s new to the site always waits for a person first. Other results can publish automatically. The ChatGPT verdict was re-checked by hand on 28 October 2026. (Methodology, ChatGPT)
This isn’t legal advice. (Home)
Changes
- 28 October 2026: ChatGPT re-checked by hand against OpenAI’s help article (verdict unchanged: Trains by default, you can opt out); quotes, opt-out steps and tool counts updated.
FAQ
Does ChatGPT train on my conversations?
By default, yes, on Free, Plus and Pro. OpenAI says “When you use our services for individuals (Free, Plus, Pro), we may use your content to train our models.” (ChatGPT)
Can I opt out of ChatGPT training?
Yes. OpenAI says “To opt out, turn off Improve the model for everyone under Settings > Data controls in ChatGPT, or select Do not train on my content in our Privacy Portal.” (ChatGPT)
Are Temporary Chats deleted?
The policy says Temporary Chats are deleted automatically within 30 days, unless they have to be kept for safety or legal reasons. (ChatGPT)
Where does PolicyPeek get this from?
From the company’s own published pages. The source links are listed on the ChatGPT page.
Is PolicyPeek free?
Yes. You can also ask it to check a tool it doesn’t list yet. (Home)
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Last updated . Plain-text version for AI tools: does-chatgpt-train-on-your-data.md.