ChatGPT Mac app sparks security worries with chats being stored in plain text

ChatGPT app

Days after making its macOS debut, the ChatGPT app has seen a rather worrying security issue. According to a report by The Verge, the ChatGPT app was storing chats with the chatbot in plain text on your computer.

How did the issue come to light?

Pedro Vieto, a developer posted a video on Threads, showcasing that all the chats with ChatGPT were being stored in plain text. “I was curious about why [OpenAI] opted out of using the app sandbox protections and ended up checking where they stored the app data,” he told The Verge.

Why is it a sign of worry?

Anything which is store in plain text on your computer can be accessed with relative ease by a hacker or even a malicious app. All the conversations you might have had with ChatGPT were easily readable.

What does OpenAI have to say?

As per the report, the publication contacted OpenAI about the issue. The company has released an update which now makes the chat encrypted, which means no one can read them. “We are aware of this issue and have shipped a new version of the application which encrypts these conversations,” OpenAI spokesperson Taya Christianson says in a statement to The Verge. “We’re committed to providing a helpful user experience while maintaining our high security standards as our technology evolves.”

Are your chats with ChatGPT secure?

OpenAI can read your chats as they categorically say that “we may use your content to train our models.” Users do have a choice to opt out and not allow ChatGPT to train on their content. There’s an option to turn off training for your ChatGPT conversations.

Apple does have a security system called sandboxing, which allows apps to run in isolation. What it does is that the app can’t really access other parts of the system unless permissions have been granted. However, the ChatGPT app is available through OpenAI’s website, which means it doesn’t have to follow sandboxing. Only apps which are available through the Mac App Store have to follow Apple’s sandboxing requirements.