Judge Ona Wang denied two users’ attempts to intervene against a court order requiring OpenAI to retain all ChatGPT logs, including deleted and anonymous chats, to preserve evidence in a copyright infringement suit.
Aidan Hunt argued the order amounted to a “nationwide mass surveillance program” infringing Fourth Amendment and due process rights, but the judge found the issue collateral to the copyright case.
Electronic Frontier Foundation warned the preservation order poses real privacy risks and could set a precedent for future demands by law enforcement and private litigants.
Hunt urged exemptions for anonymous and deeply private chats covering medical, financial, legal, and personal topics, but the judge declined, emphasizing the limited scope and purpose of the order.
OpenAI has requested urgent oral arguments to block or modify the order and has pledged to fight it, while users and digital rights advocates call for greater transparency and user notification regarding data retention demands.
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