ChatGPT’s Computer History tracks your clicks and keystrokes

OpenAI has introduced a Computer History feature that tracks and records user interactions, including keystrokes and mouse clicks, on Mac devices. This functionality stores collected data in plain text, integrating it directly into the ChatGPT memory system. Users engaging with this tool are now providing the platform with a comprehensive log of their desktop activity.

Digital Trends, CNET, The Next Web, Cult of Mac, and The Verge report that the mechanism operates by observing and recording activity across the computer environment. While CNET characterizes the function as an extension of ChatGPT’s existing memory capabilities, other outlets emphasize the implications for data security and user privacy due to the plain text storage format. Coverage does not yet specify how long this data is retained or what specific security protocols are in place to protect the logs from unauthorized access.

The industry is currently tracking whether OpenAI will provide additional controls for users to opt out of specific tracking parameters or increase encryption standards for stored activity history.