OpenAI’s growing advertising business is raising new privacy questions after an independent researcher identified a tracking mechanism that could potentially connect activity on ChatGPT with visits to third-party websites.
The researcher, known as Buchodi, found a cookie called __obi that can remain in a browser for up to a year and is reportedly sent back to OpenAI when users visit websites that use the company’s advertising measurement tools.
The tracking mechanism appears to allow OpenAI to measure actions taken on advertiser websites, including conversion activity. However, the research does not establish that OpenAI actually links every off-platform visit to a specific ChatGPT account. Buchodi was unable to verify that server-side connection.
The discovery comes as OpenAI expands ChatGPT Ads and introduces more sophisticated measurement tools for advertisers. OpenAI says its advertising system can use conversation context and, when ad personalization is enabled, selected signals from a user's broader ChatGPT experience.
OpenAI's own documentation says advertisers do not receive users' conversations or personal details, while its advertising platform now supports conversion measurement and other tools designed to track campaign performance.
The findings nevertheless raise questions about how ChatGPT users understand OpenAI's cookie and analytics settings, particularly as the company moves deeper into advertising. OpenAI's cookie policy reportedly classifies the __obi cookie as an analytics cookie, while the independent research suggests it may also play a role in advertising measurement.
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