OpenAI Pulls ‘Make Chat Discoverable’ Feature from ChatGPT to Safeguard Privacy

OpenAI quickly removed a feature that allowed shared ChatGPT conversations to be indexed by search engines.

Privacy experiment ends abruptly

OpenAI has disabled a ChatGPT feature that allowed users to make shared chats searchable via search engines, such as Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo. The toggle, labeled “Make this chat discoverable,” required opt-in by two clicks, sharing the link, then checking the box. It was meant as a “short-lived experiment” to surface helpful conversations.

However, as users discovered, thousands of private chats were unintentionally exposed to the general public via search results. These conversations included personal stories and identifiable information.

Fallout and cleanup

In a public post, OpenAI’s CISO Dane Stuckey said the rollout created “too many opportunities for folks to accidentally share things they didn’t intend to,” and confirmed that the feature has been fully removed. The announcement also mentioned the company’s collaboration with search providers to remove already-indexed links by the next morning.

Advanced searches using the site:chatgpt.com/share operator revealed thousands of indexed chats still live, though Google has since largely cleared them, while Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Brave still return results.

User caution and cleanup guidance

Even after deleting a shared chat link in your ChatGPT settings, cached versions may remain visible until search engines update their indexes. We explained these precise steps, deleting shared links, then using Google’s Remove Outdated Content tool to accelerate de-indexing in a short guide.

Users must remain vigilant and remember that deleting content within the app is often insufficient if the content has already been leaked to public access. Users must proactively manage their web exposure.

Protecting your digital footprint with specialized tools

People often underestimate the importance of maintaining a modest, or at least tidy, digital footprint. Your digital footprint encompasses everything you have done online, from your public social media posts and online purchases to seemingly innocuous activities like commenting on forums or sharing AI-generated content.

One way to regain control of your digital footprint is with a dedicated tool like Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection. It monitors both the surface web and Dark Web for any exposure of your personal data, alerting you if email addresses, passwords, phone numbers or other identifiers show up in breaches or are being traded illegally.