Statement by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada regarding a joint investigation of OpenAI’s ChatGPT

May 6, 2026
Ottawa, Ontario

Privacy Commissioner of Canada Philippe Dufresne today issued the following statement at a news conference.

Good morning.

I would like to begin by thanking my colleagues from Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta for their collaboration on this milestone joint investigation. Our efforts demonstrate a shared commitment to protecting Canadians' fundamental right to privacy.

New technologies, such as artificial intelligence, are fueled by the massive collection of data, including Canadians' personal information.

While technological innovation can bring important economic, societal, and public interest advancements, the value of this innovation can be jeopardized if it is not built on a strong, secure foundation - with the best interests of individuals at its core.

Our joint investigation highlights the importance of prioritizing privacy in the development, deployment, and ongoing evolution of artificial intelligence so that Canadians are able to safely use and leverage the benefits of these technologies. Appropriate safeguards are the cornerstone of responsible innovation and are key to ensuring that Canadians can benefit from new technologies without giving up their fundamental right to privacy. Today, we are announcing the findings of our investigation examining OpenAI's collection, use, and disclosure of personal information to develop and operate its AI-powered chatbot, ChatGPT.

Over the course of our investigation, we identified several concerns that led us to find that the way in which OpenAI had initially trained ChatGPT did not respect Canadian privacy laws.

In particular, we found that OpenAI's collection of information to train its models was overly broad, resulting in the collection and use of sensitive personal information.

We were also concerned about issues related to consent and transparency; inaccuracies in the personal information provided in ChatGPT responses; the inability for individuals to access, correct and delete their personal information; and a lack of accountability for the personal information under OpenAI's control.

OpenAI launched ChatGPT without having fully addressed known privacy issues. This exposed Canadians to potential risks of harm such as breaches and discrimination on the basis of information about them.

Following our investigation, OpenAI took steps to improve privacy protections and has also agreed to implement further measures to address my Office's concerns. These measures will significantly limit the personal information that is used to train new ChatGPT models and better protect the fundamental right to privacy of Canadians. They will also make Canadians more aware of the implications of using ChatGPT.

I have concluded that the measures that have been and that will be implemented by OpenAI will address the concerns identified during the investigation with respect to PIPEDA, Canada's federal privacy law for the private sector. I have therefore found the complaint to be well founded and conditionally resolved.

Each of our offices investigated compliance with the specific legislation that it oversees and therefore the conclusions vary due to differences in each of the laws. My Office will keep monitoring to ensure that the company continues to limit the impact that its tools have on individuals' privacy.

This investigation also further reinforces the need to modernize Canada's privacy laws for the digital age. As AI is increasingly being integrated into personal and professional applications and while currently laws apply to AI, updated laws would help further support the safe deployment of new technologies to protect Canadians' fundamental right to privacy.

I also expect that the findings of this investigation will inform and advance the privacy-protective design of other AI-powered technologies.

I would now like to invite my colleagues to further discuss our findings.

Related links

• News release: Joint investigation by Canadian privacy regulators into OpenAI's ChatGPT leads to better protections for Canadians' personal information
• Backgrounder: Summary of joint investigation into OpenAI's ChatGPT
• Overview of the joint investigation of OpenAI, OpCo, LLC
• Report of findings: Joint Investigation of OpenAI OpCo, LLC by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, the Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia, and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta