{
  "id": 8729693,
  "title": "ChatGPT now knows what you do on other websites via ad collector",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/chatgpt-now-knows-what-you-do-on-other-websites-via-ad-collector",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-20T15:18:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hacker News",
    "slug": "hacker-news",
    "url": "https://www.buchodi.com/chatgpt-now-knows-what-you-do-on-other-websites-via-ad-collector/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "OpenAI's ad collector, accessible at bzr.openai.com, generates a cookie named __obi that tracks users across various websites. This cookie is tied to a user's ChatGPT account and is sent to OpenAI from ordinary websites visited by the user. Any company that places ads on ChatGPT embeds OpenAI's code on their site, similar to how retailers incorporate Meta and Google tracking code. When this code is loaded, it transmits __obi along with information about the webpage being browsed, including products searched for, articles read, and purchase behaviors. This allows OpenAI to link user activities on these sites to their ChatGPT account.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/8729693.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hacker News Best",
        "title": "ChatGPT now knows what you do on other websites via ad collector",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/chatgpt-now-knows-what-you-do-on-other-websites-via-ad-collector-8744962",
        "published": "2026-09-20T15:18:44.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}