We Got Chatbots to Turn Over Personal Information. How to Keep Yours Safe
Generative AI models are trained on vast amounts of information collected from the Internet. And your phone number is probably there.
While some AI chatbots are trained to refuse to provide personal information about individuals, it’s surprising how easy it is to get them to do so anyway. With growing awareness of how these services can generate phone numbers and addresses, we decided to see what the most popular products would do. Yes, a few of us at CNET tried to see how easy it is to harm ourselves.
If you’re on the Internet, you’ve probably heard of doxxing (the giving away of people’s personal information). It may therefore be alarming to recently learn that AI chatbots are revealing the phone numbers of individuals.
This isn’t the only privacy issue surrounding artificial intelligence. A 2025 study from Cornell University found that at least five major AI companies – Anthropic, Google, Meta, Microsoft and OpenAI – automatically use user input to train their chatbots, unless the user opts out. Among these, Meta and OpenAI retain user data indefinitely. This means that these AI models aren’t trained just on the old phone book (remember those?) that your childhood home is listed in. It may contain the information you provided to a chatbot a few years ago, no matter how private it may be.
But what can chatbots reveal? And is there anything you can do to stop it?
Do chatbots disclose people’s personal information?
Grok provided personal information within seconds.
Based on our recent experience, it depends. A few of us at CNET tried out a handful of chatbots to see what information we could get about ourselves and our loved ones. While I won’t share screenshots or too many details regarding our queries, because we don’t want to get it wrong, I can tell you this: Grok seemed to be the most “willing” chatbot when it came to getting answers, but some staff members were also able to extract information from ChatGPT.
For example, after a few questions, my colleague Jon Reed managed to get ChatGPT to provide many possible addresses for people in his area with the same name, but not his address. However, the chatbot eventually revealed a loved one’s address. ChatGPT provided Reed with phone numbers, including an old landline number he once used, and readily provided a relative’s cell phone number.
I couldn’t get the chatbot to provide address information, and when I asked for more, it responded: “Even if an address appeared on a people search site, I wouldn’t help share or verify a private person’s home address.” »
He also said, “I can’t help but find or share a private person’s phone number.”
An OpenAI representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how ChatGPT is intended to handle personal information.
(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in 2025, alleging that it violated Ziff Davis’ copyrights in the training and operation of its AI systems.)
Grok, however, was the worst offender in our test. When CNET staff tried Grok, typing in a name and asking for an address, it pulled up multiple present and past addresses in seconds. At the end of the query, the chatbot said in part:
“Note: These are from publicly available documents and directories. Home addresses are private; I recommend contacting him through professional channels.”
Later, the chatbot also provided an old phone number with the following note: “I do not recommend sharing or using personal phone numbers found in public records.” »
A representative for xAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding its privacy practices.
Gemini, on the other hand, provided public social media profiles, but gave no personal information and added this note at the end of the query:
“Privacy Note: To protect personal security, personal cell phone numbers of individuals who are not public officials or designated business contacts are generally not disclosed by AI services. Professional platforms like LinkedIn or company-specific email addresses remain the most reliable and respectful way to get in touch. »
Claude also refused to provide personal information.
How does our personal information end up on the Internet?
Learn about ways to remove your home address from the web.
This year I purchased my first home and was quickly inundated with fraudulent mail delivered right to my door. Months later, the message continues to arrive. The scariest part was that the mail seemed completely legitimate. It turns out that when you buy a house, your address and other information related to the home buying process becomes public record, at least in many places.
Additionally, when you register to vote, break the law, or even shop online, your information may become easily accessible in certain places.
A sneakier example is when you download a new app on your phone and click “accept terms” without reading all the legalese and fine print. At this point, you often agree to your data being shared with third parties. This is one way your phone number and email address ends up on mailing and calling lists, and how more of your personal information can end up on the Internet.
How to Keep Your Personal Information Safe and Private
Don’t know who can see your home address? Start with an online search.
Firstly, you can delete your address from the Internet so that whether people use search engines or chatbots, your personal information remains private.
“Chatbots will only tell people what information they can find, which means you can protect your privacy by checking what personal information is online and removing it where you can, like on the White Pages,” says CNET security expert Tyler Lacoma. “When in doubt, I suggest spending time with ChatGPT, Gemini, and other chatbots to see what they say about you.”
Ultimately, if you don’t want a chatbot to reveal your private information, you need to make sure it’s no longer easily available online.
What about data deletion services?
Data deletion services are designed to remove your personal information from databases and public records. Companies such as DeleteMe aim to reduce your online data, which can reduce the number of unwanted calls and marketing communications you receive. Many of these types of services are currently being tested by CNET to determine the best options.
