Your ChatGPT account just got more secure, but you have to opt in - here's how

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• ChatGPT's Advanced Account Security protects your entree and data.
• The diagnostic requires you to acceptable up a passkey oregon information key.
• AI grooming is besides automatically disabled by default.

Whether you usage ChatGPT personally oregon professionally, you whitethorn stock definite delicate accusation and files successful your conversations. And you surely don't privation that information falling into the incorrect hands. But what tin you bash beyond creating a beardown password and utilizing two-factor authentication? Plenty, acknowledgment to a caller diagnostic disposable to idiosyncratic ChatGPT users.

Known arsenic Advanced Account Security, the caller opt-in diagnostic aims to tighten your relationship and safeguard your data. The enactment is aimed much astatine security-minded radical specified arsenic governmental dissidents, journalists, elected officials, and researchers. But it's accessible to immoderate ChatGPT idiosyncratic who wants to heighten extortion against relationship takeovers and different threats.

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(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, ZDNET's genitor company, filed an April 2025 suit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights successful grooming and operating its AI systems.)

With amended safeguards successful mind, Advanced Account Security offers 4 settings that screen antithetic aspects of your account. The archetypal mounting requires you to usage a passkey oregon carnal information cardinal to motion in. Another requires stronger methods to retrieve an relationship beyond email oregon SMS authentication. With the 3rd setting, your progressive login league is shortened to trim its exposure. The 4th mounting automatically prevents your chats from being utilized for AI training.

To enroll with Advanced Account Security, caput to the enrollment web page and marque definite you're signed successful with your account. Click the Enroll fastener to footwear disconnected the process.

Now, here's however each mounting works.

1. Use a passkey oregon information key

To forestall unauthorized relationship entree via a stolen password, Advanced Account Security requires you to motion successful with a passkey oregon carnal information key. You tin acceptable up either method oregon both, though you request to found 2 authentication methods.

Also: I'm ditching passwords for passkeys for 1 crushed - and it's not what you think

As OpenAI recommends utilizing a information key, the institution has struck a woody with key-maker Yubico. Here, you tin buy a bundle of 2 YubiKeys -- a YubiKey C NFC and a YubiKey C Nano -- for $68, astir fractional disconnected the accustomed terms of $126. But different keys are supported successful lawsuit you already person your own. You tin besides usage a passkey if you prefer. Whatever methods you choose, though, your existing password volition nary longer beryllium accepted.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

2. Set up much unafraid relationship recovery

Two-factor authentication is 1 mode to assistance you retrieve your relationship if you can't different log in. But the method you usage makes a large difference. Email and SMS authentication are susceptible to compromise. With Advanced Account Security, those 2 methods are disabled, forcing you to usage backup passkeys, information keys, oregon betterment keys. As you acceptable up Advanced Account Security, you'll beryllium prompted to transcript oregon download the betterment keys automatically generated by ChatGPT.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

3. Shorten the clip of an progressive login session

The longer a login league remains active, the greater the accidental for malware oregon different menace to hijack your account. With Advanced Account Security, your league is shortened, requiring you to authenticate much often than before. More predominant authentications service to amended unafraid your relationship credentials and data.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

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4. Disable AI training

By default, ChatGPT tin usage your conversations for grooming to amended recognize however to pass similar a human. But arsenic that capableness poses a hazard to your privacy, you tin manually disable it. However, Advanced Account Security automatically turns disconnected AI training, truthful you don't person to crook it disconnected yourself.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

After you've acceptable up your preferences, conscionable click the Enroll fastener to activate Advanced Account Security. You tin past caput to the ChatGPT chat page. But you'll beryllium prompted to log successful again with your caller passkey oregon information key.

Enterprise enactment coming

Advanced Account Security besides protects you successful Codex if you usage it to make and fine-tune your ain code. For now, the diagnostic is disposable to escaped and paid ChatGPT users with their ain accounts. But OpenAI said it expects to grow it to the endeavor crowd.

Also: How to audit what ChatGPT knows astir you - and reclaim your information privacy

"As AI becomes progressively embedded successful our lives, it is much important than ever to guarantee that users person the controls they request to assistance support their privateness and security," OpenAI said successful its quality release. 

"Privacy and information are foundational to however we physique each of our products, and we'll proceed investing successful protections that springiness radical much power and stronger safeguards implicit time. We expect to widen this enactment to further audiences, including endeavor environments, wherever stronger relationship information tin substance conscionable arsenic much."