A polite message without the whole conversation
Fictional example: Nina wants to follow up politely on an unanswered request. She could upload the entire earlier exchange. Instead, she asks for a courteous reminder about an appointment, explaining that she will add the name and date herself. Names, address, contract number and unrelated private messages stay outside the service. Nina takes only a useful formulation and adds the genuine details afterwards. For this writing task, the original records are unnecessary and would disclose much more than the question requires.
Define the task before supplying information
First decide what kind of help you need: a clearer sentence, an outline or a general explanation. Write your own short summary instead of uploading a complete document. Use placeholders such as “Person A” and “Date B”, without presenting the invented details as a real case. Include specifics only where they are necessary for the task and suitable to share with this service. Confidential work material also needs to follow your organisation’s rules; personal access to a tool does not override them.
Look beyond names and addresses
Also check phone numbers, email addresses, account identifiers, signatures and access credentials. Health details, information about children, internal business records and information about other people may need particular protection. A combination of location, occupation and an unusual event can identify someone even when their name is removed. Examine other pages, comments and visible margins in files. Screenshots can include private notifications. A freshly written minimal example is usually easier to control than a hurriedly edited bundle of real documents with information hidden in several places.
Distinguish the service, settings and connections
CNIL recommends checking privacy information and avoiding careless submission of private or sensitive data. Ask what can be stored, reused or shared with connected services. Conditions vary by provider, account type and feature. Turning off use for model training is not the same as ensuring nothing is stored. Private browsing likewise does not replace the rules of the online service you use. If its terms do not fit your confidential task, or remain unclear, do not use that service for that material.
Review the output and respond to accidental disclosure
Read the generated text for invented details, unintended commitments and remaining personal information. Better wording can still be factually wrong. If you already entered a secret such as a valid password, secure the affected account through its official service. Review available deletion options without assuming that every stored copy disappears immediately. For work data, contact the appropriate internal team. This guide supports data-conscious use and does not replace individual privacy advice or professional medical interpretation of confidential health records. A general writing aid is not that assessment.
Your checklist
The checkboxes are for your own reference. No entries are sent to us. To keep a copy, print the page or save it as a PDF using your browser menu.
Common questions
Is a document anonymous once the name is removed?
No. Several indirect details can identify a person when combined. Reduce the wider context or write a new fictional example instead.
Can I upload health records for an explanation?
Consider the purpose, service and privacy carefully. A general question about a term often needs only a few impersonal words. Personal findings need an appropriate healthcare setting.
Is a private browser window enough?
No. It does not automatically change what the service receives or stores. The provider’s conditions and the information actually submitted remain relevant.
Sources and further information
Primary sources from public authorities, consumer organisations and providers. A source may be in another language; follow the guidance that applies to your service and where you live.
- CNIL and PIPC: Generative AI and privacy, May 2026Source review date:
- CNIL: Questions and answers on using generative AI systemsSource review date:
