Following the recent launch of the native Mac app for ChatGPT by OpenAI, an alarming privacy loophole was discovered, revealing that all user conversations were stored in plain text in an unprotected location on the device. This oversight raised concerns about unauthorized access to sensitive data by other applications or potential malware threats.
The issue was brought to light by Pedro José Pereira Vieito, a data and electronics engineer, who emphasized that OpenAI chose to bypass macOS security measures by storing conversations in plain text and disabling built-in defenses such as sandboxing. Sandboxing is a key security feature that restricts app access to specific data, ensuring user privacy and data protection.
Despite macOS’s robust security features, ChatGPT for Mac lacked encryption for stored conversations, making them easily accessible to any app on the device. This raised significant privacy concerns, especially considering the unencrypted nature of the stored data.
However, in response to these privacy concerns, OpenAI swiftly addressed the issue by releasing an update that encrypts all chats on ChatGPT for Mac. The latest version of the app, 1.2024.171 (1720028552), resolves the privacy loophole, ensuring that user conversations are now secure and inaccessible to unauthorized apps or entities.
While privacy expectations may vary when using a chatbot like ChatGPT, the importance of data security and protection remains paramount. With the latest update, users can feel more confident in the privacy and security of their conversations on the platform.
For users of ChatGPT for Mac, it is recommended to update to the latest version to benefit from enhanced privacy measures and encryption of chat data. This proactive approach by OpenAI reinforces the company’s commitment to prioritizing user privacy and data security in their applications.
