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:

• 404 Media (Joseph Cox, Oct 15, 2026): How ChatGPT Targets Ads To You Based On Your Prompts, Phone Number, and Email
• OpenAI Help: Ads in ChatGPT
• OpenAI Help: Set up Custom Audiences for your Campaign
• OpenAI Help: Write Context Hints for ChatGPT Ads
• OpenAI: Our approach to advertising and expanding access to ChatGPT
• Google: Advertising ID
• ByteSizedSecurity blog: ChatGPT ads targeting (prompts, email, phone)

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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