ChatGPT data retention policies: updated rules and user controls in 2025

Graziano Stefanelli
2 days ago
4 min read

OpenAI’s ChatGPT has evolved rapidly in 2025, introducing new features like Memory, Temporary Chats, and enterprise-level tools that reshape how data is stored, accessed, and deleted. With increasing regulatory scrutiny and ongoing litigation, OpenAI has revised its data retention policies to offer users more transparency and control. This September 2025 update provides a detailed overview of the current retention framework across free, Plus, Team, and Enterprise plans, alongside the impact of legal requirements and upcoming changes.

Standard chat history retention and deletion rules.

For free and Plus users, OpenAI now retains standard chat history indefinitely unless the user actively deletes conversations. Once deleted, chats are purged from OpenAI’s systems within 30 days, except in cases where a legal hold applies.

Key details:

Chats are stored securely and remain visible in the History sidebar until manually removed.
Deleted conversations leave OpenAI’s storage after a 30-day retention period.
Deleted chats may still be preserved longer if covered by a legal order or regulatory requirement.

This default policy provides consistency across free and Plus tiers while ensuring users can manage their own data directly.

Temporary Chats offer short-lived, private interactions.

Temporary Chats, introduced earlier this year, provide an additional layer of privacy for free and Plus users. These sessions are designed for scenarios where conversations should not persist across accounts or appear in history.

How Temporary Chats work:

Messages are automatically deleted after 30 days.
Temporary sessions are never used for model training or fine-tuning.
Chat content remains encrypted at rest for the full retention period.

This feature has become particularly popular for sensitive workflows, allowing users to access ChatGPT’s capabilities without contributing data to long-term storage or training pipelines.

The Memory feature introduces persistent personalization.

Launched in May 2025 for ChatGPT Pro ($200/month) subscribers and gradually rolling out to Plus users, Memory allows ChatGPT to retain information across conversations, enhancing personalization and context continuity.

Key characteristics:

Memories remain stored until the user explicitly clears them via settings.
Users can view, modify, or fully delete stored memories at any time.
In the EU and EEA, Memory remains disabled pending compliance reviews under the AI Act.

OpenAI’s approach to Memory reflects a balance between enhancing user experience and maintaining transparency. Opt-in consent is required, and the ability to disable or reset memory provides full user control.

Data retention policies for Team, Edu, and Enterprise plans.

OpenAI expanded its retention policies for business-focused deployments, giving administrators more granular control over organizational data.

Plan	Default retention	Minimum retention period	Admin controls
ChatGPT Team / Edu	Indefinite	90 days	Admins can define custom retention windows
ChatGPT Enterprise	Admin-defined	90 days or “no retention”	Option to disable chat history entirely
Custom GPT file storage	Tied to GPT existence	30 days after deletion	Files removed automatically when GPT is deleted

For enterprise-grade deployments, OpenAI guarantees full data isolation and zero use of customer inputs for training by default. Organizations can opt into shorter retention periods or disable history completely.

Legal holds and litigation-driven retention requirements.

In June 2025, a U.S. federal court issued an order in the ongoing New York Times vs OpenAI lawsuit, requiring OpenAI to retain all chats and uploaded files—including deleted ones—until the case concludes.

Implications:

All new chats, deletions, and uploads made since 5 June 2025 are preserved under the legal hold.
Once litigation ends, standard retention and purge policies will resume.
OpenAI has clarified that this temporary retention does not change user-facing controls, but backend deletion may be delayed.

This development highlights the growing intersection between AI usage and legal governance, where compliance obligations can override standard user expectations.

Updated retention rules for files and custom GPTs.

In addition to chats, OpenAI has clarified data retention policies for uploaded files and custom GPTs:

Files uploaded during a chat session are retained as long as the conversation exists and deleted within 30 days if the chat is removed.
For custom GPTs, uploaded assets remain available while the GPT exists but are erased within 30 days of GPT deletion.
None of these files are used for training unless explicitly granted permission.

This ensures that both user-uploaded assets and GPT-specific resources remain fully under the user’s administrative control.

Overview of ChatGPT’s data retention framework (September 2025).

Feature / Plan	Retention policy	Training usage	Special notes
Standard chat history	Indefinite until deleted; purged 30 days after deletion	Eligible for training (if history enabled)	Legal holds override deletion
Temporary Chats	Auto-deleted after 30 days	Excluded from training	Ideal for sensitive queries
Memory	Stored until user clears it	Used for personalization only	Disabled in EU/EEA pending AI Act
Team / Edu	Default indefinite; 90-day minimum	Opt-in per workspace policy	Admins manage retention windows
Enterprise	Admin-defined or “no retention”	Never used for training	Full data isolation by default
Custom GPTs / file uploads	Stored until GPT exists; erased 30 days after deletion	Training requires explicit permission	Applies to documents, media, and GPT assets

ChatGPT’s retention policy outlook.

By September 2025, OpenAI has made significant strides in giving users clearer controls over their data. With the introduction of Temporary Chats and Memory, OpenAI has split retention policies into opt-in personalization and opt-out privacy modes, allowing users to choose between long-term continuity and short-term confidentiality.

However, with regulatory pressures from the EU AI Act and litigation-driven legal holds, ChatGPT’s data governance remains a dynamic landscape. Users and organizations now benefit from greater transparency and control but must stay informed as OpenAI continues adapting policies to global compliance requirements.

____________

DATA STUDIOS

datastudios.org