OpenAI updated its U.S. privacy policy on April 30 to formally disclose the advertising data infrastructure it has been building since launching ads in ChatGPT earlier this year.
What the updated policy covers
The revised privacy policy now explicitly states three data practices tied to OpenAI's advertising business. First, OpenAI receives purchase data from advertisers to measure ad effectiveness. Second, the company shares limited user identifiers — specifically cookie IDs and device IDs — with marketing partners for third-party ad targeting. Third, OpenAI uses user data to market its own products.
Marketing cookies are now enabled by default for free-tier ChatGPT users. An opt-out is available in settings. Plus and Enterprise subscribers are exempt from marketing cookies entirely. An OpenAI spokesperson told Adweek that conversations and private user content are not shared with advertisers.
OpenAI also published a blog post outlining its approach to advertising and expanding access, framing the ad business as a way to sustain free access to ChatGPT.
What this means for advertisers
The privacy policy update formalizes the data-sharing model that underlies ChatGPT's ad product. Advertisers now have a documented framework for how their campaign data flows into OpenAI's measurement system and how user identifiers are shared for targeting. The structure mirrors the data-sharing models Google and Meta have used for years — advertiser conversion data flows in, limited user identifiers flow out to ad partners.
The distinction is that OpenAI initially positioned ChatGPT as a privacy-first, ad-free product. The shift to default-on marketing cookies and formalized advertiser data sharing marks a departure from that positioning as the company builds out its advertising business.
Adweek reports that OpenAI is targeting approximately $2.5 billion in ad revenue in 2026 and aiming for $100 billion by 2030. Adweek also reports that StackAdapt has been revealed as a programmatic partner. OpenAI has not confirmed these figures.
OpenAI has not disclosed how many free-tier users are now subject to default marketing cookies or provided details on the volume of identifier data being shared with marketing partners.
Recap
What changed in OpenAI's privacy policy?
OpenAI updated its U.S. privacy policy on April 30, 2026 to formally disclose its advertising data practices. The policy now states that OpenAI receives purchase data from advertisers to measure ad effectiveness, shares limited user identifiers such as cookie IDs and device IDs with marketing partners for third-party ad targeting, and uses user data to market its own products. Marketing cookies are enabled by default for free ChatGPT users.
Are paid ChatGPT users affected by the privacy policy changes?
No. Plus and Enterprise subscribers are exempt from marketing cookies. The default-on marketing cookies apply only to free-tier ChatGPT users. Free users can opt out of marketing cookies through their ChatGPT settings.
Does OpenAI share ChatGPT conversations with advertisers?
No. An OpenAI spokesperson told Adweek that conversations and private user content are not shared with advertisers. The data shared with marketing partners is limited to identifiers such as cookie IDs and device IDs, not the content of user interactions.
