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OpenAI's Locked Chats: A PIN Isn't Full Protection
24 Oct
Summary
- PIN protection hides chats but not data already saved.
- Forgetting PIN permanently deletes all locked conversations.
- Shared links remain active even after chat is locked.
OpenAI has introduced a "Locked Chats" feature for ChatGPT, allowing users to protect specific conversations with a four-digit PIN or biometric authentication on mobile devices. This aims to prevent others from accessing personal dialogues. Conversations locked using this feature are removed from the main chat history and search results.
However, the effectiveness of this privacy measure has significant caveats. If a user forgets their PIN, resetting it will result in the permanent deletion of all chats secured by the old PIN. Furthermore, information previously incorporated into ChatGPT's memory or shared through active links remains accessible, requiring manual deletion to be truly hidden.
While Locked Chats restrict access within an account, they do not recall external copies. Users must manually delete shared links and manage ChatGPT's memory to ensure complete privacy. For highly sensitive discussions where no record is desired, OpenAI offers Temporary Chats, which are not saved and do not contribute to model improvement.
