OpenAI recently added a new feature to ChatGPT called Browse with Bing. This support allowed ChatGPT Plus subscribers to search using the Bing browser. However, recent reports have shown that some users have been using this feature to circumvent paywalls. OpenAI disabled the support.
ChatGPT Plus users bypass paywalls with Bing support
The Bing search feature, introduced with ChatGPT-4, was intended to improve the quality of the AI’s responses, thanks to integration with Microsoft’s search engine. However, it turned out to be a headache for OpenAI. As part of a new announcement, it was reported that this support had been temporarily suspended.
It turned out that some users were accessing payment systems via Bing and decrypting encrypted connections with ChatGPT. This allowed users to bypass paywalls and access the sites they wanted without paying.
OpenAI is facing a lawsuit alleging the unauthorized use of stolen data to train its AI models, including ChatGPT.
According to posts on Reddit, premium features on many sites became accessible thanks to ChatGPT. For example, some texts offered exclusively to subscribers were found with Bing integration and made available with the help of ChatGPT.
At the moment it is not known which paywalls users have overcome in this way. However, it is thought to be mainly on sites that offer premium subscriptions and are only available to paying users (such as e-book platforms).
The Bing search engine was recently integrated into iOS app. So when users ask a question on ChatGPT, they can search the web and get results.
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