OpenAI updated its U.S. privacy policy on April 30, formalizing the advertising infrastructure it has been building behind the scenes. The changes, which include explicit language about receiving purchase data from advertisers, sharing user information with marketing partners for third-party ad targeting, and using users’ data to market its own products, signal that the company is cementing its identity as an ad platform.
The updates are notable for what they make explicit: OpenAI openly acknowledges receiving data from advertisers and their partners, including information about purchases users make, to measure ad effectiveness on its platform. The AI company also renamed its vendor disclosure category to include “marketing partners,” a tell that the company is formalizing relationships with outside ad tech that go beyond traditional service providers.
