Data Security With Open AI.
OpenAI Data Use & Retention Explained
As leaders of organisations we have a responsibility to protect and safeguard our data and the data we hold about our clients, members and suppliers.
Our priorities include protecting sensitive data, safeguarding customer trust, and ensuring compliance with privacy regulations.
If you’re exploring opportunities to integrate OpenAI’s API for everything from chatbots to intelligent automation, you’re likely wondering:
“Can we trust OpenAI with our data? How long will it be stored, and will it ever be used to train their models?”
1. Your Data Is Not Used to Train OpenAI Models — Unless You Opt In
- Default policy: OpenAI does not use data submitted via the API to train or improve its models—and this applies to proprietary code, internal documents, chat history, and every prompt or response you send.
- Explicit opt-in only: Model training from your inputs only happens if your organization explicitly agrees to it. By default, SME users remain fully excluded.
- Industry confirmation: In public forums, OpenAI engineers reaffirm this: “No, all data that you feed the API will not be used for training.”
2. Data Retention: Up to 30 Days—Primarily for Safety Monitoring
- Standard retention window: OpenAI retains API input and output data for up to 30 days—solely for abuse detection, misuse monitoring, and service integrity.
- Zero Data Retention (ZDR): Enterprise customers can negotiate contracts with zero retention, ensuring no data is stored at all beyond immediate processing.
3. Data Privacy, Security, and Compliance at a Glance
- Strong industry compliance: OpenAI’s practices align with SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, GDPR, and CCPAstandards.
- Encrypted by default: All data is encrypted both in transit and at rest. Access to retained data is tightly restricted to a small, authorized team for safety investigations.
- Stateless architecture: OpenAI API calls don’t “remember” past interactions—unless your application sends them in the prompt. Each call is independent.
4. Why This Matters for SMEs Like Yours
| Concern | OpenAI API Policy | Key Takeaway |
| Data used to train their models? | No — unless you opt in | Your proprietary information remains private and protected. |
| How long is data stored? | Up to 30 days for monitoring, or 0 with ZDR | You control data retention levels through your agreement. |
| Compliance & security | Audited (SOC 2, ISO 27001), GDPR & CCPA compliant | Robust safeguards are in place—aligned with enterprise standards. |
| Privacy-friendly architecture | Stateless, per-request interactions | No model “memory” unless you design it that wa |