OpenAI introduces Computer History, a new macOS feature that logs user activity for easier task continuity, but raises privacy and security concerns, especially outside Europe where it is not rolled out.
OpenAI has added a new macOS feature to ChatGPT that records a text-based history of computer activity so users can recover past work more easily. The tool, called Computer History, is designed to help people find a website, file or app they used earlier without having to retrace every step manually. According to Windows Central, it works on an opt-in basis and is turned off by default.
The feature is not a full screen recorder. Instead, it logs actions such as clicks, typing, window changes and browser tab titles, then stores a searchable summary locally on the Mac. OpenAI says this is intended to support continuity across tasks, but the implementation has drawn attention because the stored data is not encrypted, which may leave it exposed to other software on the device. Windows Central also noted concerns about prompt injection and other security risks.
That is one reason the feature has not been rolled out in Europe. Frandroid reported that OpenAI has kept Computer History out of the region amid privacy and legal concerns. The broader issue is not simply whether users would accept the feature, but whether they can be confident that a local activity log will remain private and protected from unwanted access.
OpenAI has, however, been expanding some of its other Europe-facing controls. The company recently announced data residency options for ChatGPT Enterprise, ChatGPT Edu and the API platform, allowing eligible customers to keep content stored in Europe and, in some cases, processed there as well. OpenAI also documents export tools and additional account-security settings for consumer users, which can help people review or remove their data, although those safeguards do not remove the concerns raised by Computer History itself.
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