ChatGPT and a delete of your prompts/conversations

[iMo]

I've seen some discussion (I cannot find it again) where people indicated the US authorities requested chatgpt owners to store all conversations/prompts people do with chatgpt, delete from the user's side regardless.
How the delete of the prompts/conversation works? Are they stored or are they deleted?

[radiolistener]

Once you’ve typed a prompt, just assume it’s already in some government database. 

OpenAI claims that deleted conversations are removed from your chat history and not used for training (if you disable training in settings). Temporary logs may exist for security, but they’re not stored forever - at least officially.

[Analog Kid]

Once you’ve typed a prompt, just assume it’s already in some government database. 

OpenAI claims that deleted conversations are removed from your chat history and not used for training (if you disable training in settings). Temporary logs may exist for security, but they’re not stored forever - at least officially.

Of course none of what you wrote above can be believed or confirmed. (And I'm not blaming you here.)

[iMo]

https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/NYT-v-OpenAI-Preservation-Order-5-13-25.pdf

[iMo]

I also asked grok:

Here's a breakdown of the data retention policies for user prompts in **Grok** (created by xAI) and **ChatGPT** (created by OpenAI), based on their respective privacy policies and practices:

### **Grok (xAI)**
- **Retention of Prompts**:
  - xAI's privacy policy states that user inputs (prompts, files, images, etc.) and outputs (Grok's responses) may be collected and retained to provide, analyze, maintain, and improve their services, as well as for legal purposes. There is no explicit mention of indefinite retention, but the policy does not specify a fixed deletion timeline either.[](https://x.ai/legal/privacy-policy)
  - If you use the "private chat tab" in Grok, conversations are not saved in your history and are not used for training the model. However, xAI may securely retain this data for up to **30 days** for safety reasons (e.g., to monitor for abuse).[](https://techpoint.africa/guide/grok-3-vs-chatgpt/)
- **Deletion of Prompts**:
  - There is no clear indication in xAI’s privacy policy that user-deleted prompts are immediately or permanently removed. The policy suggests that personal information is retained "as long as we need" for service provision or legal obligations, which could imply retention even after deletion requests, depending on their internal policies or legal requirements.[](https://x.ai/legal/privacy-policy)
  - xAI advises users not to include sensitive personal information in prompts, as they cannot fully control what users provide, and such data may be reproduced in outputs.[](https://x.ai/legal/privacy-policy)
- **Key Notes**:
  - xAI’s policy emphasizes that they do not actively seek sensitive data for training and aim to avoid processing such information. However, the lack of a clear deletion timeline raises questions about how long data is retained after a user deletes it.
  - For users concerned about privacy, using the private chat tab reduces retention risks, but data may still be held for up to 30 days.[](https://techpoint.africa/guide/grok-3-vs-chatgpt/)
  - If you access Grok via the X platform, the **X Privacy Policy** applies, not xAI’s, which may have different retention rules.[](https://x.ai/legal/privacy-policy)

### **ChatGPT (OpenAI)**
- **Retention of Prompts**:
  - By default, ChatGPT stores all prompts and responses indefinitely unless the user manually deletes them or opts out of certain data retention settings. This applies to Free, Plus, and Pro users.[](https://www.nightfall.ai/blog/does-chatgpt-store-your-data-in-2025)
  - A significant change occurred in April 2024, when OpenAI removed the ability for Free and Plus users to disable chat history, meaning all prompts are retained unless manually deleted. Enterprise and Team subscribers can still opt out of data retention, with data purged after **30 days**.[](https://www.nightfall.ai/blog/does-chatgpt-store-your-data-in-2025)[](https://blog.stackaware.com/p/chatgpt-team-data-retention-security-compliance)
  - A federal court order in 2025 mandated OpenAI to retain all ChatGPT conversations indefinitely, including deleted chats, due to a lawsuit from The New York Times alleging copyright violations. This applies to consumer ChatGPT and API users (except those with Zero Data Retention agreements). OpenAI is challenging this order, but as of now, it affects standard retention practices.[](https://openai.com/index/response-to-nyt-data-demands/)[](https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/5/openai-court-order/)[](https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/06/openai-says-court-forcing-it-to-save-all-chatgpt-logs-is-a-privacy-nightmare/)
  - Temporary Chat mode allows conversations to be deleted automatically after **30 days**, and these chats are not used for model training.[](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/7730893-data-controls-faq)[](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8983778-chat-and-file-retention-policies-in-chatgpt)
  - Data from the Operator AI agent (e.g., screenshots or browsing activity) is retained for **90 days** post-deletion for abuse monitoring.[](https://mpgone.com/does-chatgpt-save-your-data-in-2025/)[](https://www.nightfall.ai/blog/does-chatgpt-store-your-data-in-2025)
- **Deletion of Prompts**:
  - When users delete chats manually, they are scheduled for removal from OpenAI’s systems within **30 days**, unless legally required to be retained (e.g., due to the court order mentioned above).[](https://williammartin.com/2025/03/03/chatgpts-data-storage-and-access-policies/)[](https://www.nightfall.ai/blog/does-chatgpt-store-your-data-in-2025)
  - Full account deletion triggers a process to erase profile data, but anonymized interactions may still be retained for model training unless the user has opted out of training data usage.[](https://www.nightfall.ai/blog/does-chatgpt-store-your-data-in-2025)
  - Users can opt out of having their data used for model training via settings (“Improve the model for everyone” set to “Off”) or by submitting a privacy request, but this does not prevent retention of chats for other purposes (e.g., legal compliance).[](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/7730893-data-controls-faq)[](https://blog.stackaware.com/p/chatgpt-data-retention-ai-governance-security)[](https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPTPro/comments/193vfj5/chatgpt_how_to_disable_training_on_your_data_and/)
- **Key Notes**:
  - The court order significantly impacts privacy, as even deleted chats may be retained indefinitely in a secure system for legal purposes. This has raised concerns about GDPR compliance and user privacy.[](https://www.geeky-gadgets.com/chatgpt-privacy-risks-explained/)[](https://openai.com/index/response-to-nyt-data-demands/)
  - Enterprise and Team plans offer more control, with options for custom retention policies and end-to-end encryption. Zero Data Retention API endpoints are available for business customers, ensuring no retention of prompts or outputs.[](https://openai.com/index/response-to-nyt-data-demands/)[](https://openai.com/enterprise-privacy/)
  - OpenAI emphasizes transparency, but the indefinite retention due to legal requirements has sparked privacy concerns among users.

### **Comparison and Recommendations**
- **Grok**: Offers a private chat option with a 30-day retention limit for safety, but the general policy lacks clarity on how long deleted prompts are retained. It appears less aggressive about data retention than ChatGPT, but users should avoid sharing sensitive information due to the ambiguity around deletion.[](https://x.ai/legal/privacy-policy)[](https://techpoint.africa/guide/grok-3-vs-chatgpt/)
- **ChatGPT**: Has more explicit retention policies but is currently under a court order to retain all data indefinitely, even deleted chats, which poses significant privacy risks. Temporary Chat mode and opting out of training are useful, but they don’t fully address retention concerns.[](https://openai.com/index/response-to-nyt-data-demands/)[](https://www.nightfall.ai/blog/does-chatgpt-store-your-data-in-2025)
- **Recommendations**:
  - For **Grok**, use the private chat tab to minimize retention risks, and avoid including sensitive data in prompts. Check the X Privacy Policy if using Grok via the X platform.[](https://x.ai/legal/privacy-policy)[](https://techpoint.africa/guide/grok-3-vs-chatgpt/)
  - For **ChatGPT**, enable Temporary Chat mode for sensitive interactions, manually delete chats regularly, and opt out of model training to limit data usage. Consider Enterprise or Team plans for better privacy controls if you’re a business user.[](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/7730893-data-controls-faq)[](https://www.nightfall.ai/blog/does-chatgpt-store-your-data-in-2025)
  - For both, be cautious with sensitive information, as legal obligations or unclear policies may lead to longer retention than expected.

If you need more specific guidance or want to dive deeper into either service’s policies, let me know!

[radiolistener]

Of course none of what you wrote above can be believed or confirmed. (And I'm not blaming you here.)

You’re free to trust no one, including yourself.

[Analog Kid]

Of course none of what you wrote above can be believed or confirmed. (And I'm not blaming you here.)

You’re free to trust no one, including yourself.

Well, I do believe that the most dangerous people are those who believe their own propaganda.

[radiolistener]

Well, I do believe that the most dangerous people are those who believe their own propaganda.

You’re speaking from personal experience? Must be exhausting, living inside your own propaganda. Hope you’re getting better.   

[Analog Kid]

Well, I do believe that the most dangerous people are those who believe their own propaganda.

You’re speaking from personal experience? Must be exhausting, living inside your own propaganda. Hope you’re getting better.   

You do realize that's one hell of an assumption you just made there, right?
I'm curious: just what kind of radio do you listen to, anyhow? Must be some bizarre kind of broadcast ...

[radiolistener]

I'm curious: just what kind of radio do you listen to, anyhow?

I like to listen 1.FM, especially this one: https://strm112.1.fm/onelive_mobile_mp3