ChatGPT can track your activity on other sites through an ad collector
openai privacy
| Source: HN | Original article
OpenAI’s ChatGPT can now track users’ activity on other websites through an ad‑collector, expanding data collection beyond the chat interface.
OpenAI has expanded its advertising platform so that the free‑tier ChatGPT now receives a “collector” that tracks users’ activity on other websites. The mechanism, first described in a February 2026 rollout of ChatGPT ads, harvests browsing data through the ad network that serves the new in‑chat placements. By default, free users are opted in, and the information gathered is used to target the ads that appear beneath the AI’s responses.
The move matters because it blurs the line between conversational AI and a traditional ad‑driven service. While OpenAI insists that the ads do not influence the model’s answers, the ability to monitor a user’s external web behaviour raises fresh privacy concerns. Critics point to the lack of a clear, easy opt‑out and warn that the data could be combined with the content of users’ prompts, creating a richer profile than many expect. The practice also puts OpenAI under the spotlight of regulators who have been scrutinising data‑sharing agreements in the AI sector, as highlighted in recent litigation involving other large‑scale models.
What to watch next is how OpenAI responds to the growing backlash. Guidance on disabling the tracking has already appeared in third‑party tutorials, and privacy‑focused observers are urging the company to provide a transparent, one‑click opt‑out. Regulators in the EU and Nordic states may examine whether the collector complies with GDPR and local data‑protection rules. Meanwhile, marketers will be keen to see early performance metrics, while competitors could use the controversy to differentiate their own offerings with stricter privacy guarantees.
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