Class action lawsuit allegedly accuses OpenAI of sharing ChatGPT user data with Google, Meta

A class action lawsuit reportedly filed in the United States has accused OpenAI of sharing user data from ChatGPT with Google and Meta without proper consent.

As per reports, the case was filed in a federal court in California on Wednesday and alleges that data, including user queries, personal information and email addresses, was collected through tracking tools embedded on ChatGPT.com and automatically transmitted to the two technology companies.

At the time of reporting, OpenAI had not publicly responded to the allegations.

The complainant alleged many users treat AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity as private spaces where they discuss sensitive matters, including medical concerns, legal issues, financial information and personal problems.

The lawsuit argues that users therefore had a reasonable expectation of privacy while interacting with AI chatbot platforms.

“Personal privacy on ChatGPT is an issue with broad implications for individuals’ control of their privacy and personal information,” the complaint stated.

The filing alleges that OpenAI used tracking code supplied by Meta and Google for analytics and advertising purposes on the ChatGPT website.

It also referred to a report by cybersecurity firm Cyberhaven, which estimated that around one per cent of the data employees paste into ChatGPT is confidential. The lawsuit extends those concerns to individual users seeking advice related to health, finance and legal matters.

The case centres on the use of tracking technologies such as Meta Pixel and Google Analytics, which are commonly embedded in websites to monitor traffic and support advertising systems.

Such tools are widely used for targeted advertising by tracking user behaviour online. The lawsuit claims that, if proven, ChatGPT user queries may have been used to deliver personalised advertisements across the internet.

The complaint has been filed on behalf of US residents who entered queries on ChatGPT.com. It alleges violations of the California Invasion of Privacy Act and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, and seeks damages along with an injunction to stop the alleged practices.

A similar lawsuit filed earlier this year against Perplexity AI over the alleged use of Meta and Google tracking tools was later voluntarily dismissed.