Episode 49

full
Published on:

15th Oct 2026

Ep49: ChatGPT Ads: Your Prompts, Your Email, and the Switch That Doesn't Stop Ads

Episode Summary:

ChatGPT now shows ads on its Free and Go plans. In this episode Marc walks through what 404 Media found when it ran its own test ads: advertisers can upload lists of emails, phone numbers, or Android advertising IDs, and your current chat shapes which ad appears. Turning off ads personalization changes how ads are picked, but it does not stop them. Marc covers what each setting does and five steps you can take today.

Key Topics Covered:

  • 404 Media's test ads: how Joseph Cox used OpenAI context hints to steer ads toward privacy and AI chats
  • Custom audiences: email, phone, hashed identifiers, and Google Advertising IDs, plus include, exclude, and bid-adjustment buckets
  • The two switches: Personalize ads vs Ads-Free mode, and why one does not equal the other
  • What OpenAI commits to: advertisers do not get your chats; Temporary Chats show no ads; health and politics limits
  • Five actions: check your plan, Data Controls, delete ads data, Temporary Chat, and shrink the lists you are on

Main Takeaways:

  • Free and Go show ads. Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu do not.
  • Context hints are guidance, not keyword triggers, but your prompt still decides whether an ad fits.
  • Advertisers can match uploaded emails, phone numbers, or Android advertising IDs to ChatGPT users (inclusion and bid bumps need at least 25,000 matched users).
  • Turning off ads personalization still leaves context-based ads on. Ads-Free (Free plan only) or a paid plan is what removes ads.
  • Your personalization setting does not take you off an advertiser's uploaded list.
  • For sensitive topics, use Temporary Chat. It shows no ads and does not use or update memory.

Timestamps:

  • [0:00] Cold open
  • [0:50] Intro
  • [1:13] What 404 Media did
  • [2:22] Your email and phone number
  • [4:17] The switch which doesn't stop ads
  • [5:42] What OpenAI promises
  • [6:27] Five things to do today
  • [7:42] Outro

Tools & Resources Mentioned:

Not legal advice. Settings and plan details reflect OpenAI's help pages as of October 15, 2026 and change over time.

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I do hope you enjoyed this episode of the podcast. Here are some helpful resources including any sites that were mentioned in this episode.

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Byte Sized Security
Snackable advice on cyber security best practices tailored for professionals on the go
In a world where cyberattacks are becoming more commonplace, we all need to be vigilant about protecting our digital lives, whether at home or at work. Byte Sized Security is the podcast that provides snackable advice on cybersecurity best practices tailored for professionals on the go.

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Marc David

Marc David is a CISSP-certified Staff Security Engineer with 8+ years in dedicated security roles inside regulated healthcare, and the host of Byte-Sized Security. He describes his work in one line: "I get security tooling adopted by engineering teams who do not report to me." Most security programs fail at adoption, not at tool selection. Marc has driven API security monitoring, device trust, browser-based data loss prevention, and continuous mobile penetration testing to full coverage across engineering, IT, and platform groups where he holds no authority over anyone. His background spans HIPAA, HITRUST, and SOC 2 compliance, security automation, and awareness training built for people who never wanted training. Marc lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and speaks on security adoption, healthcare compliance, and automation.