OpenAI blocks cyber verification in 44 ChatGPT markets, researcher finds
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OpenAI has blocked cyber verification in 44 countries where ChatGPT is available, according to cybersecurity researcher George Lubaretsi. The affected markets have a combined population of about 650 million people. The block appeared around August 19, when OpenAI announced a technical issue requiring some users to re-verify.
Key Facts
- OpenAI blocks cyber verification in 44 countries where ChatGPT is available, according to researcher George Lubaretsi.
- Affected countries include Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Cambodia.
- The affected markets have a combined population of about 650 million people, excluding markets where ChatGPT is officially unavailable.
- The country gate appeared around August 19, when OpenAI announced a technical issue requiring some users to re-verify.
- TechCrunch spoke to five researchers who said their access to Trusted Access for Cyber was revoked, all based outside the US and Europe.
Verification Block
Researcher George Lubaretsi had his Georgian ID approved and was granted Trusted Access for Cyber (TAC), an identity- and trust-based framework OpenAI describes as designed to ensure enhanced cyber capabilities are placed in the right hands. The new re-verification requirement removed his access, forcing him to go through the process again. Lubaretsi tried submitting his ID and completing a face scan through Persona, OpenAI's third-party identity verification service, but received the message: "Your identity couldn't be verified or your account is ineligible at this time." He tried different browsers and devices without success, and published a redacted conversation with OpenAI support where he explains attempting verification eight times with the same ID that had previously succeeded. On August 25, a customer support agent said: "The information provided indicates that you completed the verification flow. However, completing the flow does not mean that verification was approved."
Country Restrictions
About a week after the initial attempts, Lubaretsi discovered that OpenAI no longer allows someone with a Georgian ID to attempt verification. The system returns the message: "We are unable to verify identities in this country. Please select another country." OpenAI's FAQ states that support cannot manually override a verification result or provide additional details about why a specific result occurred. Retries and appeals are also not supported, according to the FAQ.
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OpenAI blocks cyber verification in 44 ChatGPT markets, researcher finds
