ChatGPT Targets Ads Using Your Prompts, Phone Number and Email
openai
| Source: Mastodon | Original article
OpenAI's ChatGPT can display ads tailored to users by using prompts, phone numbers, email addresses, or device identifiers, according to 404 Media's tests.
OpenAI’s advertising layer for ChatGPT has moved from a controlled rollout to a more open‑door system, according to tests conducted by 404 Media. The firm found that any advertiser can insert ads into a user’s chat session and direct them at groups identified by the user’s email address, phone number or a device‑specific identifier – even when the user has disabled personalization. The targeting leverages the same data OpenAI began using when it launched ads on the free and “Go” plans in February 2026, drawing on the content of a user’s prompts as an “intent signal” rather than traditional cookies or profile tags.
The discovery matters because it expands the scope of personal data that can be monetised without explicit consent. OpenAI’s updated privacy policy now explicitly covers ad targeting that draws on conversation content, but the 404 Media tests suggest the barrier to placing such ads is lower than previously disclosed. For users, the result is a potential flood of highly specific promotions that appear alongside their queries, raising questions about the adequacy of existing opt‑out mechanisms and the risk of inadvertent data exposure.
Industry watchers will be looking for how OpenAI responds. Regulators in the EU and Nordic states have signalled heightened scrutiny of AI‑driven advertising practices, and consumer‑privacy groups are likely to demand clearer safeguards. OpenAI may tighten its advertiser vetting process, introduce stricter token‑based authentication for ad insertion, or roll out more granular user controls. The next few weeks could also see competitors adjust their own ad models as the market gauges the balance between revenue potential and user trust in conversational AI platforms. As we reported on 15 October, the ad ecosystem is already generating a $1 billion run rate and new “Sponsored Agents” formats, so any policy shift will have immediate commercial implications.
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