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OpenAI launches ChatGPT Computer History feature for macOS
OpenAI has introduced Computer History for the ChatGPT desktop app on macOS, a feature designed to enhance productivity by creating a searchable timeline of user activity. The tool tracks interactions such as clicks, keystrokes, keyboard shortcuts, and application switching via macOS accessibility APIs. This data allows ChatGPT and Codex to provide contextual assistance, such as resuming unfinished tasks or suggesting automations based on observed workflows.
While the feature is intended to be less intrusive than Microsoft’s Recall by avoiding screenshots, audio, or video, it has raised significant privacy concerns. Security researchers and documentation reveal that the feature stores local memory files as unencrypted, plain-text Markdown. This lack of encryption means that other programs or malicious software running under the same macOS user account could potentially access the user's activity history.
To mitigate risks, the feature is opt-in and disabled by default. Users can exclude specific applications and websites from being tracked, delete individual history entries, and the system automatically ignores content in private or incognito browser tabs. Temporary interaction event files are deleted from the machine after 48 hours. Currently, the feature is available for ChatGPT Pro, Business, and Enterprise accounts, but is not yet available in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, or the European Economic Area.
Entities
Ari Weinstein · ChatGPT · Codex · Dominik Kundel · Microsoft · OpenAI · macOS
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 18 SOURCES] The feature records clicks, keystrokes, keyboard shortcuts, and app switches via macOS accessibility APIs. cryptobriefing.com · sana.sy · thenextweb.com · raillynews.com · dailyguardian.ae · +13 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] The feature is currently unavailable in the UK, Switzerland, and the European Economic Area. thenextweb.com · oua.be · www.iphoneworld.com.es · smartmania.cz
- [● 6 SOURCES] The feature automatically ignores content viewed in private or incognito browser tabs. cryptobriefing.com · thenextweb.com · www.que.es · thetechnologyexpress.com · www.gzt.com · +1 more
- [● 18 SOURCES] Computer History is opt-in and disabled by default. cryptobriefing.com · sana.sy · thenextweb.com · raillynews.com · dailyguardian.ae · +13 more
- [● 7 SOURCES] Temporary event files are deleted from the machine after 48 hours. thenextweb.com · dailyguardian.ae · www.tportal.hr · es.digitaltrends.com · www.iphoneworld.com.es · +2 more
- [● 2 SOURCES] OpenAI states that memory files are not used to train its models. thenextweb.com · smartmania.cz
- [● 18 SOURCES] OpenAI launched the Computer History feature for the ChatGPT desktop app on macOS. cryptobriefing.com · sana.sy · thenextweb.com · raillynews.com · dailyguardian.ae · +13 more
- [● 7 SOURCES] Memory files are stored locally as unencrypted plain-text Markdown. thenextweb.com · dailyguardian.ae · www.tportal.hr · es.digitaltrends.com · www.iphoneworld.com.es · +2 more