Mother files lawsuit against OpenAI over alleged misuse of children's data

A mother of two has filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging the company unlawfully collected sensitive data from millions of young users without consent. The anonymous plaintiff, whose children are 12 and 16, claims both signed up for ChatGPT in early 2,026 without parental approval. OpenAI’s terms of service prohibit minors under 13 from using the platform, but the company does not actively verify parental consent. The lawsuit accuses OpenAI of extracting personal information, including emotional insecurities and selfies, and using it to train AI models. OpenAI recently sought a $1.4 trillion valuation as it prepares for a public offering. The company disputes the allegations, stating it has industry-leading age-specific protections and warns that the lawsuit could push teens toward less secure platforms. OpenAI also noted that teens spend under 15 minutes daily on ChatGPT and that users with access to the teen version sent 2.7 million more learning-related messages on average. The lawsuit seeks court orders to award class members a share of OpenAI equity or its cash value, based on the amount of data extracted from each child. OpenAI previously rejected similar safety concerns raised by the Youth AI Safety Institute at Common Sense Media, arguing that such findings could steer teens toward products with fewer safeguards. The case was filed on October 14, 2026.