Plain-language glossary
The terms that matter, in plain words. The examples are illustrations, not real cases.
“Not stated” is not “No”
When the pages we read are silent on a point, we say “Not stated”. That means we found no statement, not that the practice does not exist.
Example, illustrative onlyA page says nothing about human review. You cannot conclude that nobody reads chats; you can only conclude the page does not say.
A legal reason can override your delete
Policies often keep the right to retain data for legal, compliance or safety reasons. In those cases a deletion request may not remove the data when you expect.
Example, illustrative onlyA company is ordered by a court to preserve records. Data that would normally be deleted is kept until the order ends.
A person may read a sample
Some products let trained staff or contractors read a sample of conversations for safety or quality. Whether you can opt out depends on the product.
Example, illustrative onlyA chat you thought only software saw is selected for review. A reviewer reads it to check how the system responded.
Check the default
In some products or plans, your chats can be used for training until you switch it off yourself. Others start with it off.
Example, illustrative onlyYou sign up on a free plan and start chatting. If the setting is on by default, every chat since day one counted, even though you never agreed to anything in particular.
Delete is not instant
Deleting a chat usually removes it from your view first. Removal from the company’s systems follows later, within the period stated.
Example, illustrative onlyYou delete a chat on Monday. It is gone from your list at once, but the stated deletion period can run for weeks after that.
Delete may not mean gone
Deleting a chat, a thread or even your account does not necessarily delete the company’s copy. The company’s own pages describe the correct way to delete.
Example, illustrative onlyYou delete a whole thread and assume it is gone. The company may still hold a copy, and its pages say how to remove that copy.
Feedback is a separate channel
Rating or reporting an answer can send that conversation, or a slice of it, to the company, even when your other settings are off.
Example, illustrative onlyYou switch training off, then tap thumbs-down on a bad answer to help the company fix it. That one tap may be treated as permission for that conversation.
No switch to flip
Where a policy describes no opt-out, there is no setting that stops your chats being used for the stated purposes. Your choices are whether to use the service and what to type into it.
Example, illustrative onlyYou look for a training switch in settings and find only a delete-history option. Deleting history is not the same as opting out of training.
Opt out by request, not by switch
Some products let you opt out only by contacting them, not by flipping a setting. Whether the opt-out applies to you can depend on where you live.
Example, illustrative onlyYou email the company to ask that your data not be used for training. There is no switch in the app for it.
Opting out is not a rewind
In some products, turning training off applies only to data collected from that day on. Chats already used can stay used.
Example, illustrative onlyYou chat for a year, then opt out. The year before the opt-out is not automatically pulled back.
Temporary does not mean zero
Temporary or private chat modes keep your chat out of your visible history. The company may still hold a copy for a short period.
Example, illustrative onlyYou use a temporary chat for a sensitive question and close the window. A copy can still exist on the company’s systems for the period its page states.