OpenAI’s New Sora App Makes Account Deletion Permanent, Including for ChatGPT

Deleting an account on OpenAI’s new Sora 2 app isn’t just a button tap—it’s a point of no return.

OpenAI warns in its terms of service that once a user deletes their Sora profile, all linked data, including conversation history and API usage across ChatGPT and Sora, is permanently erased.

That level of finality matters as Sora 2 has mushroomed online alongside OpenAI’s push into new products like an AI agent shopping feature with Shopify.

According to the TOS, once a user’s email or phone number is removed, the account can never be reused. The company hasn’t publicly explained why Sora’s deletion rules extend to ChatGPT accounts, but it said it’s working on separating the two systems.

"We’re committed to giving people clear ways to manage their OpenAI accounts, and you can delete yours today,” OpenAI said in a statement. “We’re also working on a way to delete your Sora account separately, and we’ll let people know as soon as that’s available.”

The current terms of service for Sora 2, however, call deleting an account permanent and cannot be undone.

“All your data, including profile, conversations, and API usage across ChatGPT and Sora, will be removed,” Sora 2’s terms explained. “You cannot reuse the same email or phone number for a new account. If you've been using ChatGPT with the API, this access will also be deleted."

The debut of Sora 2 comes amid a surge of AI-generated content, avatars, and other “AI slop” flooding the internet.

OpenAI first introduced Sora in February 2024 as a browser-based feature inside ChatGPT. With the release of the standalone Sora 2 app on Tuesday, access shifted from web to mobile. The app still requires an invite code because it hasn’t been rolled out to the general public.

Unlike the first Sora model, the invite-only Sora 2 on iOS introduced “cameos” that let users insert themselves into AI-generated scenes after a quick video to verify likeness and voice. On its first day, users produced NSFW sex-toy ads, anime romance parodies, and deepfakes of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

While OpenAI works to decouple Sora 2 from ChatGPT, deletion remains irreversible—meaning users who delete by mistake could lose not only their AI-generated videos but also access to OpenAI’s flagship chatbot.

Tying Sora 2 to ChatGPT raises the stakes for anyone testing Sora’s new features, as critics argue OpenAI is drifting from its mission of creating safe, broadly beneficial AI, toward memes and viral entertainment.