OpenAI has switched on marketing cookies by default for users on its free ChatGPT tier, sharing limited data including cookie IDs and email addresses with advertising partners to promote its own products on third-party platforms such as Instagram. The change was communicated to users via an email dated April 30. Chat content is not included in the data shared, according to an OpenAI spokesperson.
WIRED confirmed the setting was automatically enabled on two free accounts it tested, while paid subscriber accounts were not affected. Users who wish to opt out can navigate to Settings, then Data Controls, then Marketing Privacy within the ChatGPT app and disable the option. The setting can also be managed through the “Your Privacy Choices” link on OpenAI’s website or via browser cookie controls.
The move aligns with OpenAI’s broader effort to monetize its free user base. The company began running ads inside ChatGPT in select countries in February, with more than 90% of ChatGPT users remaining on the free tier, creating significant infrastructure costs without direct subscription revenue. Enabling targeted advertising cookies provides OpenAI with a mechanism to retarget free users across external platforms and drive conversion to paid plans.
OpenAI is not alone in exploring advertising within AI products. Google is testing ads inside its AI tools, currently limited to its AI search integration.
The default-on configuration of marketing cookies without explicit user consent may attract scrutiny in regions with strict data privacy regulations, particularly across the European Union and other markets where opt-in requirements apply to non-essential tracking.
