OpenAI denounces court order forcing it to preserve all ChatGPT logs, including deleted conversations
Some users of OpenAI's ChatGPT may have had private conversations and then deleted the chat logs. OpenAI has challenged a court order that required it to preserve all ChatGPT logs, including deleted conversations.
OpenAI slams court order to save all ChatGPT logs, including deleted chats - Ars Technica
The court order challenged by OpenAI is related to a lawsuit filed by news organizations including The New York Times against OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement.
Major daily newspaper New York Times sues OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement - GIGAZINE
In this copyright infringement lawsuit, it was pointed out that ChatGPT could be used to circumvent paywalls , and that users who read paid articles without paying could delete their chat logs, which could lead to the destruction of evidence.
In response to concerns that evidence would be lost, the court ordered OpenAI to preserve and isolate all output log data until further notice in an order dated May 13, 2025. The order applies to all data, including chat logs conducted via the API, as well as data of users who directly interacted with ChatGPT.
In response to this order, OpenAI pointed out in a document filed with the court (PDF file) that 'the court issued a hasty order based solely on the press plaintiffs' speculations. ' After criticizing the court's order as premature, it argued that 'as long as the blanket and unprecedented order remains in place, the privacy of hundreds of millions of ChatGPT users around the world is at risk every day.'
AI users have also criticized the possibility of their private conversations being disclosed in court. For example, one X (formerly Twitter) user wrote, 'NY Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang apparently thinks the copyright concerns of the New York Times' Baby Boomer generation trump the privacy of any OpenAI users. This is insane!'
NY magistrate judge Ona T. Wang apparently thinks the NY Times' boomer copyright concerns trump the privacy of EVERY @OpenAI USER--insane!!! pic.twitter.com/KY1A7L1Rwd
— _gabrielShapir0 (@lex_node) May 16, 2025
OpenAI has previously taken a policy of not retaining chat history unless ChatGPT users explicitly consented, but OpenAI claims that it has been forced to retain even 'temporary chats' that should not have a history due to a court order. In addition, users could completely erase all data by deleting their accounts, but data that was supposed to be destroyed within 30 days due to the court order has been stored.
'While we appreciate the court's efforts to disclose evidence in this complex series of litigation, we have no choice but to defend our users' interests by challenging the preservation order and seeking immediate annulment,' OpenAI said in a statement.
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