I am raising this post to reignite the critical discussion around the absence of a data export functionality for ChatGPT Team workspaces, as highlighted in this thread, which was closed on August 7, 2024, without resolution. This issue is not only frustrating for users but also potentially a violation of GDPR and other data protection regulations.
I, among apparently many other Team plan users, are left with “just copy-paste it” suggestions from the OpenAI Help Center and other help pages by default.
That is however, utterly unacceptable, since what we have here is a GDPR Violation (that affects Team plan users worldwide, not just i.e. in the EU):
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), users have:
- Article 15 – Right of Access: The right to access all personal data stored by an organization.
- Article 20 – Right to Data Portability: The right to receive personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format (e.g., JSON, CSV).
Currently, ChatGPT Team users:
- Cannot export their data in any automated format, although this is (ridiculously enough) completely doable in Plus and even Pro plans, the latter of which being way more expensive than the Team and Plus plans combined.
- Face a one-way merging process of personal and Team workspaces, after which personal workspace data is permanently locked within the Team workspace.
- Risk losing access to all their work if the Team workspace is deactivated or their account is removed.
This effectively holds user data hostage and denies users their legal rights to retrieve it.
Lack of Transparency
There are several unacceptable oversights:
- No proper warning that merging into a Team workspace makes data export impossible.
- Irreversible merging locks users into a “walled garden” with no ability to reverse the process or retrieve data.
- OpenAI customer support has suggested manual copy-pasting as a “solution” for data extraction, which is unrealistic and unprofessional for large datasets.
Impact on Users
Many of us upgraded to the Team plan for additional features, only to discover:
- Core functionalities like data export are missing.
- There’s no way to search, manage, or back up critical data within the Team workspace.
For professional and enterprise users who rely on these tools for significant projects, this creates:
- Loss of trust in OpenAI as a service provider.
- Operational risks due to lack of data access or portability.
- A growing sense that Team and Enterprise plans are designed to lock users into OpenAI’s ecosystem without recourse.
Proposed Resolution
To address these issues, OpenAI must:
- Implement a data export feature for Team workspaces, allowing users to download their data in a structured, machine-readable format (JSON/CSV).
- Provide clear warnings about irreversible workspace merging and its consequences.
- Outline a roadmap for resolving this long-standing issue, including timelines and progress updates.
Call to Action
I am urging OpenAI to:
- Acknowledge the GDPR compliance issues raised by the lack of a data export feature.
- Commit to delivering a fix or alternative solution promptly.
- Reopen the dialogue with affected users and provide regular updates on progress.
This issue has persisted for nearly a year without resolution. As a long-time paying customer, I believe OpenAI has an obligation to respect its users’ rights and maintain transparency in its operations.
Furthermore, if OpenAI does not do anything to address this situation, and since my data is locked inside the Team plan right now (a year’s worth of work), I’m willing to file a DPA notice in the EU regarding the lack of data export in Team plans.
By EU law, the lack of an export option in the Team plan is essentially withholding the user’s data (which is considered as their property) under direct violation of GDPR’s Article 15 and 20.
Under the EU’s data protection laws, this type of violation is punishable by up to 20 million EUR in fines or 4% of revenue, whichever is higher. I strongly urge OpenAI to act before this matter escalates further.
I encourage other users to share their experiences below and amplify this issue. Together, we can hold OpenAI accountable for these shortcomings and demand the transparency and functionality we deserve.
Thanks.