ChatGPT has become a pretty handy tool for everyday life. You can use it to write an email, plan a vacation, compare products, or figure out how to handle something you’ve never dealt with before.
And once you start using it regularly, it’s easy to get comfortable sharing just about anything.
Maybe you need help understanding a confusing medical bill, reviewing a contract, or figuring out something on your tax return. Copying and pasting the entire document might seem like the easiest way to get an answer, but you could be sharing a lot more personal information than necessary.
While ChatGPT has privacy and security protections, that doesn’t mean you should treat every conversation like a private filing cabinet. The information you share, your account settings, and the type of ChatGPT service you’re using can all affect how your data is handled.
Here are nine things you should avoid typing or uploading into ChatGPT, even if the request seems completely harmless.
Your Home Address and Real-Time Location
You don’t need to share your exact home address to get recommendations for restaurants, stores, or things to do nearby. Providing your city or general neighborhood is usually enough, and it’s best to avoid sharing details about where you live, your daily routines, or when your home will be empty.
Social Security Numbers
Your Social Security number is one piece of information you should never type into ChatGPT. Whether you’re asking about retirement benefits, government paperwork, or financial documents, you can get help understanding the information without including your actual number.
Related: 19 Important Documents You Should Never Throw Out
Bank Account and Credit Card Information
ChatGPT can help you create a budget or review your spending without knowing your bank account or credit card numbers. If you’re sharing financial documents, remove account numbers, card details, and other identifying information before uploading anything.
Passwords and Login Information
If you’re having trouble accessing an account, don’t share your password, PIN, verification code, or recovery information with ChatGPT. You can describe the problem or copy the error message without providing anything that could be used to access your account.
Your Children’s Personal Information
It’s perfectly fine to ask ChatGPT for parenting advice or help writing an email to your child’s teacher, but avoid sharing identifying details. Full names, birthdays, school names, home addresses, and daily schedules usually aren’t necessary to get a helpful answer.
Complete Medical Records
ChatGPT can help explain medical terms or lab results, but uploading an entire medical record may expose more personal information than necessary. If you decide to share health information, remove identifying details where possible and remember that AI-generated explanations shouldn’t replace professional medical advice.
Tax Returns and Other Sensitive Financial Documents
Tax returns contain plenty of personal information, including Social Security numbers, income details, addresses, and sometimes banking information. Instead of uploading the entire document, share only the figures or sections relevant to your question, with identifying details removed.
Confidential Work and Business Information
ChatGPT can make writing emails, reviewing contracts, and organizing business information easier, but that doesn’t mean every company document belongs in a conversation. Avoid sharing confidential client information, private financial records, or internal business documents unless you’re authorized to do so and the tool meets your organization’s privacy requirements.
Private Legal Documents and Case Details
Legal documents often contain sensitive information about finances, family matters, business agreements, or ongoing disputes. If you need help understanding a contract or legal term, consider sharing a short excerpt with identifying details removed rather than uploading the entire document.
