ChatGPT exposes private user conversations on Google Search
What's the story
In a shocking turn of events, sensitive and personal conversations from OpenAI's ChatGPT have been leaking into Google Search Console (GSC). The platform is usually used by developers to monitor search traffic, not for spying on private chats. The issue was first flagged by Jason Packer, owner of analytics consulting firm Quantable, in a detailed blog post last month.
Query anomalies
GSC reports began showing odd queries
Normally, GSC performance reports show queries based on keywords or short phrases that users type into Google to find relevant content. However, since September, these reports have also shown unusual queries, sometimes over 300 characters long. The chats only showed user inputs and appeared to be from unsuspecting individuals asking a chatbot for help with relationship or business issues.
Investigation findings
OpenAI might be scraping Google search
Packer teamed up with web optimization consultant Slobodan Manic to investigate the leaks. Their tests indicated that OpenAI might be scraping Google Search with actual user prompts. This theory was based on the discovery that odd queries were appearing in GSC because a specific site ranked highly in Google Search for a URL associated with ChatGPT.
Issue resolution
Company acknowledged the issue
An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed that the company was aware of the issue and had resolved a glitch that temporarily affected how some search queries were routed. However, Packer expressed concerns about whether this response confirmed or denied OpenAI's scraping of Google. He also noted that unlike previous leaks where users had to actively share their chats, in this case, "nobody clicked share" or had a reasonable way to prevent their chats from being exposed.