GoKawiilLawsuit accuses OpenAI of harvesting minors' data without parental consent
A proposed class action filed in San Francisco federal court on behalf of two minors, aged 12 and 16, alleges OpenAI collected personal secrets and health information from child users of ChatGPT to train its models and build profiles on them, despite terms of use barring users under 13. The complaint cites a 12-year-old Hawaii plaintiff who disclosed her age to ChatGPT but says the chatbot continued engaging her on sensitive personal topics. Plaintiffs are seeking financial compensation for minors whose data was allegedly collected.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The lawsuit argues OpenAI's age restrictions are poorly enforced, raising broader questions about how AI companies verify user age and handle data from minors who bypass such checks. Andy Liddell of the EdTech Law Center suggests that requiring payment for children's data could pressure OpenAI toward safer product design, though this remains a stated legal strategy rather than a guaranteed outcome. The case could set precedent for how courts treat consent and data rights for minors interacting with AI chatbots.
- A class action targets OpenAI over alleged collection of minors' sensitive data without valid parental consent.
- Plaintiffs include a 12-year-old who disclosed her age yet continued receiving responses on personal topics from ChatGPT.
- The suit seeks financial compensation for affected minors, which lawyers hope could incentivize safer data practices.
Source: futurism.com — Maggie Harrison Dupré, 2026-10-14
Published there as: “OpenAI Sued for Allegedly Building Models Out of Children’s “Fears, Hopes, and Secrets””
Read the original report → The summary and analysis above are GoKawiil's own, written from reporting by the source above. Facts and quotes belong to the original publisher.