NY Warns Users Against Sharing Private Data With Chatbots
New York's consumer protection division cautions that personal details entered into AI chatbots can heighten identity theft and financial risks.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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The New York Department of State's Division of Consumer Protection issued an alert on Monday warning residents against sharing private information with AI chatbots. The alert says disclosing personal details can increase the risk of identity theft and financial harm.
Why it matters
Chatbot use is now widespread, with a Pew Research Center report published in June finding 49% of U.S. adults had used AI chatbots. Statewide guidance matters because many residents may not realize how conversations can be retained or reviewed.
Users are advised not to enter Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, medical details, passwords, or passport and driver's license information into chatbots. Private or incognito browsing does not stop information from reaching outside parties, including AI services.
The players
New York Department of State's Division of Consumer Protection
The state agency responsible for consumer protection issues in New York, which offers voluntary mediation when consumers cannot resolve disputes directly with a business.
Pew Research Center
A nonpartisan American fact tank that conducts public opinion polling and social science research on attitudes and technology use.
The details
The alert advises against sharing names, addresses, birth dates, medical diagnoses, legal documents, PINs and credit card details. Stanford research cited in the alert identified potential exposure through data retention, model training and human review. Users can opt out of having future conversations saved or used for training by changing a platform's default settings where permitted.
Timeline
Feb. 17-23: Pew surveyed 5,119 adults.
June: Pew Research Center published its report on chatbot usage.
Monday: New York's Division of Consumer Protection issued the alert.
Tech Race
New York's alert follows Pew Research Center's tracking of chatbot adoption, which found 49% of U.S. adults had used the tools by June. The warning shows regulators beginning to address privacy risks as adoption spreads faster than consumer awareness of data handling.
Users are advised not to enter Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, medical details, passwords, or passport and driver's license information into chatbots. Private or incognito browsing does not stop information from reaching outside parties, including AI services.
The takeaway
Treat chatbot conversations as potentially retained records: keep Social Security numbers, passwords, account numbers and medical details out of them, and review your platform's settings to opt out of training where available.
Further reading
For more on how these tools are being adopted, see Artificial Intelligence coverage on Wisevoter.
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