Using ChatGPT safely is mostly about one habit: treat it like any other online service. You would not email a stranger your PIN, and you would not read your bank statement out loud in a café. The same instincts apply here.
This guide walks through what is safe to share, what to keep out of the chat, and how to set your account up so you can use ChatGPT with confidence.
Key Takeaways
- ✓Treat ChatGPT like any online service. Do not share what you would not share by email.
- ✓Never paste in passwords, PINs, full banking details or full ID numbers.
- ✓Remove personal identifiers from documents before pasting them in.
- ✓Review Data Controls and use Temporary Chat when you want additional privacy for a particular conversation.
- ✓Verify anything important, especially medical, legal or financial detail, with a qualified source.
Start with the right mental picture
ChatGPT is an online service run by a company (OpenAI). Normal chats are processed online and are generally saved to your account history unless you use Temporary Chat or another applicable privacy control. That is not a reason to avoid it. It is a reason to think, just for a second, before you type.
The simple rule: if you would not put something in an email to a company you did not know well, do not paste it into ChatGPT.
What is generally safe to share
- •General questions and topics.
- •Draft emails, letters or messages, with personal details removed.
- •Descriptions of situations without full names or addresses.
- •Recipes, plans, ideas, hobbies, opinions.
- •Long articles or documents that are not confidential and do not name you.
What to keep out of ChatGPT
Passwords, PINs and codes
Never paste a password, a PIN, a security code, a two-factor code or a recovery phrase into any chat window.
Banking and card details
Do not paste your full account number, card number, CVV or BSB. If you need help understanding a bank letter, describe it in general terms or redact the account number.
Full identifying numbers
Avoid pasting full Medicare, tax file, passport, Centrelink or driver's licence numbers. These are exactly the details criminals use to impersonate you.
Detailed medical information
General questions about a condition are fine. Pasting a full medical letter or a specialist's report that names you and your diagnosis is not.
Children's information
Be especially careful with anything that identifies a child, including full name, school and photos.
Confidential work information
If you would need to sign an NDA to send it in an email, do not paste it into ChatGPT. Many employers have policies on this. Check yours.
Documents and screenshots
When you paste in an email, letter or document:
- 1.Copy it into a plain notepad app first.
- 2.Delete or replace personal details: names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, account numbers.
- 3.Use placeholders like "my sister", "the address", "my energy retailer", "account number".
- 4.Then paste the cleaned-up version into ChatGPT.
The cleaner the version you paste, the better the answer, and the less exposed you are.
Photos and uploads
Some versions of ChatGPT let you upload a photo or a file. Before you do:
- •Ask whether the image contains anything you would not put in a public post: a face, a licence plate, a document, a screen showing account information.
- •If it does, either crop those out first or skip the upload.
Reviewing your Data Controls
ChatGPT gives you some control over how your conversations are handled. To review the current settings:
- 1.Log in to ChatGPT.
- 2.Click your name or initial in the bottom-left.
- 3.Open Settings, then Data Controls.
- 4.Look for the option called Improve the model for everyone.
Turning Improve the model for everyone off means your future normal chats will not be used to improve OpenAI's models. Those normal conversations can still appear in your chat history, so you can revisit them; the change is about training, not history.
Temporary Chat, for a more private conversation
If there is a particular conversation you do not want appearing in your history, use Temporary Chat (usually available from the model picker at the top of a new chat, or from the sidebar). Temporary chats do not appear in your history, do not create memories and are not used to train models. OpenAI may retain them for a limited period for safety purposes.
Exact wording and menu locations change as OpenAI updates the product, but the controls live in the same general area.
Account security
The account you use to sign in to ChatGPT deserves the same care as your email account.
- •Use a strong, unique password.
- •Turn on two-factor authentication in Settings.
- •Do not sign in on shared or public computers.
- •If in doubt, sign out at the end of each session.
Watch out for imitation apps
AI popularity has attracted copycats. Only download ChatGPT from the official OpenAI app on the Apple App Store or Google Play, or use it in your web browser at chatgpt.com. Apps that claim "ChatGPT Pro Free" or "ChatGPT Unlimited" are often scams designed to charge you or steal card details.
Checking important advice
Using ChatGPT safely also means using its answers safely.
- •Health information: use it as background, then talk to your GP or pharmacist.
- •Legal or financial questions: speak to a qualified professional before acting.
- •Government processes, tax, superannuation, Centrelink: check the official Australian Government sites (like myGov, ATO or Services Australia) for current detail.
Our guide [can you trust ChatGPT?](/guides/can-you-trust-chatgpt) explains why AI sometimes gets things wrong and how to catch it.
A one-page safe-use checklist
Before you type or paste anything, run through this:
- •I would send this in an email to a service I generally trust.
- •I have removed passwords, PINs, card details and full ID numbers.
- •Documents have been cleaned of personal identifiers.
- •Any uploaded photo does not show faces, licence plates or account details I would not post publicly.
- •I know I will double-check anything medical, legal or financial with a qualified source.
- •My account has two-factor authentication turned on.
- •I am using the official app or chatgpt.com, not a lookalike.
What to learn next
- •Learn to spot AI-powered scams in [AI scams: deepfakes, voice clones and fake messages](/guides/ai-scams-deepfakes-voice-clones).
- •Learn how to check AI answers in [can you trust ChatGPT?](/guides/can-you-trust-chatgpt).
- •Take the free 3-minute AIQ Quiz to see where you sit and what to focus on next.
Example prompts to try
- Explain this letter in plain English. I have removed my name and account number. (Paste the cleaned-up letter.)
- Draft a polite complaint email to my energy retailer about incorrect billing. Do not include any personal details; leave placeholders like [ACCOUNT NUMBER].
Safety Notes
- •Passwords, PINs, card numbers and full ID numbers should never enter a chat window.
- •Documents should be cleaned of personal identifiers before pasting.
- •Only use the official ChatGPT app or chatgpt.com; ignore lookalike apps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to paste in an email I received?
Usually yes, provided you first remove personal details, names, addresses, phone numbers, account numbers. Ask yourself: if this ended up online tomorrow, would anything in it identify me or someone else?
Can ChatGPT see my other apps or files?
ChatGPT does not automatically have access to your email, files, calendar or other apps. If you choose to connect an app and grant permission, ChatGPT may access the information allowed by those permissions.
Should I turn off chat history?
Chat history is a convenience feature; turning it off means you cannot revisit past chats but does not, on its own, change whether your data is used for training. That is controlled separately under 'Improve the model for everyone'. For a one-off private conversation, use Temporary Chat.
Is the free version less safe than the paid version?
Regardless of which plan you use, review your Data Controls and avoid sharing passwords, banking details or other highly sensitive information. Different account and organisation types may have different data-handling arrangements.
Sources & references
Related Silver Mind course
Safety, Privacy & Scam Awareness
Related guides
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