Got hit with this out of the blue
Users find accounts wiped after routine login, with only a data export email as notice.
A growing number of OpenAI users have encountered a disturbing and irreversible error: the complete and unexpected deletion of their accounts. The issue manifests when a user who was previously signed out attempts to log back into the ChatGPT platform or API. Instead of gaining access, they are presented with a stark message informing them their account has been deleted. Crucially, affected individuals state they did not manually delete their accounts and had received no prior warning of the action.
The only correspondence from OpenAI in the lead-up appears to be routine administrative emails, such as notifications about updated privacy policies and, notably, confirmations of data exports. This has led to speculation that a system error may be misinterpreting data export requests or other actions as account deletion commands. For users, the impact is significant, resulting in the permanent loss of valuable chat histories, personalized custom instructions, and any unused API credits associated with the account, with no clear path for restoration.
- Users report permanent account deletion upon attempting to log in, with no manual action on their part.
- The only preceding emails from OpenAI were about privacy policy updates and data export confirmations.
- The bug causes total loss of chat history, custom GPTs, settings, and API credits with no recovery option.
Why It Matters
This erodes trust in platform stability and highlights the risks of entrusting critical data and workflows to cloud-based AI services.