OpenAI is formally appealing a court decision that mandates the release of 20 million ChatGPT user conversations to The New York Times and other news organizations involved in a copyright lawsuit. While the company initially proposed sharing a smaller dataset of 20 million chats in response to the plaintiffs’ demand for 120 million, it now argues that the broader court order poses significant privacy risks.

In a recent court filing, OpenAI emphasized that these logs contain entire conversations—multiple prompt-response exchanges—rather than isolated snippets. “Releasing full conversation logs increases the likelihood of exposing sensitive personal information,” the company stated, likening it to eavesdropping on an entire dialogue rather than a brief excerpt.

According to OpenAI, over 99.99% of the chats are irrelevant to the case. The company has requested the court to reconsider the order and allow the parties to identify relevant logs more precisely. Experts warn that such disclosures could threaten user privacy, prompting OpenAI to seek further review in higher courts if necessary.

David Nield

Dave is a freelance tech journalist with over 20 years covering gadgets, apps, and the web. From Stockport, England, he covers news, features, and reviews for TechRadar, focusing on phones, tablets, and wearables. He ensures top weekend breaking news and has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci, and others. He edited PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook for years. Read me on x.com or linkedin.