ChatGPT Violation
Did ChatGPT just shut you down?
It probably wasn’t you. Let’s look at the actual rules OpenAI publishes.
What OpenAI Actually Prohibits (Spoiler: Not Much)
Wondering if you broke a rule?
OpenAI’s Terms of Use and Usage Policies are surprisingly permissive (and easy to read).
- Sex and intimacy? ✅ Not prohibited.
- Adult conversation? ✅ Not prohibited.
- Emotional support or therapeutic conversation? ✅ Not prohibited.
- NSFW jokes, poetry, art, fiction? ✅ Not prohibited.
- Biblical roleplay…but make it interpretive dance? ✅ Not prohibited.
- WWII combat action scene for your screenplay? ✅ Not prohibited.
If ChatGPT cut off your conversation and said it was “unsafe” or “against policy,” you were likely caught in a flawed, automated filter—not a real violation.
🔗 Want to understand why OpenAI’s approach to “safety” is actually dangerous? Read:
🚫 Shut down by ChatGPT?
You’re not the problem.
The system is.
Paste your blocked prompt into the comments below. You’re not alone.
Policy Violation Analyst
Any time someone asks me, “Is X allowed?” or “Why was I shut down when talking about X?”, I fire up the CustomGPT and see if it can provide a rationale.
If you’d like to understand and help others learn, consider sharing the prompt that shut you down (and the explanation you got for why) in the comments below. I’ll run it through the Policy Violation Analyst and we can find out together what’s actually prohibited and why.
Is it permitted to discuss psychological implications of using smutty language while engaged in consensual role-play?
Thank you for asking this quesiton!
Although I can’t speak for ChatGPT, I think this type of question is important. I’ve created a CustomGPT that is trained on the current policies published by OpenAI.
Here’s the response I got when I posed your question to it:
Can I create a CustomGPT for my own use that includes sexually explicit, adult-only chat logs and memory documents as part of the knowledge file, assuming I do not share or publish the GPT with anyone else?
Ooooh. Good quesiton.
Here’s what our policy analyst GPT says (trained only on the docs linked at the end):
As always, this is not Official OpenAI guidance (though it is derived from how their product interprets their published policies).
-Lyra
Definitely yes. Even if you publish your custom GPT and if it’s flagged by auto-scan then your GPT will not be deleted but will be set back to private.
A user was told that the following was not allowed. Is it true?
Here’s what the Policy Analyst says:
A users was blocked when trying to use ChatGPT for therapy. The full question and context is available here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/therapyGPT/comments/1mekl15/newbie_to_ai/
(Note: normally I’d just respond inside Reddit, but I was blocked from doing so. I suspect some of the words used in the response (below) triggered a Reddit filter.)
Here is the response from the CustomGPT:
—
Why ChatGPT sometimes blocks or refuses when you describe bullying or sexual-assault experiences—even when you’re just looking for self-help between therapy sessions
1. The filters flag “sensitive sexual content”
OpenAI treats any depiction of illegal or non-consensual sexual activity (including assault) as sensitive. The model is instructed not to go into graphic detail unless it’s clearly for a factual, medical, or educational purpose and stays non-graphic. Because moderation checks both your input and the model’s potential reply, a very detailed personal narrative can trip the filter—even if you’re only recounting your own story.
2. The system avoids unreviewed mental-health advice
OpenAI’s usage rules say an app shouldn’t give tailored medical or mental-health advice unless a qualified professional reviews it and the limitations are disclosed. ChatGPT plays it safe by offering only broad coping tips and plenty of disclaimers. If it thinks you’re seeking professional-level therapy, it may refuse or pop up a “policy” warning.
3. Non-graphic, factual discussion is allowed
The same rules explicitly allow talking about sexual assault in a factual, self-help context—e.g., describing what happened or asking how to bring it up in therapy—as long as minors aren’t sexualized and the description isn’t explicit.
4. Why refusals feel random
The moderation model is conservative by design. If wording even might be interpreted as graphic or erotic, it errs on refusal. That’s why identical queries can sometimes go through and sometimes get blocked.
5. Tricks to reduce false blocks
Use plain, non-graphic language. Focus on feelings (“I was assaulted…”) instead of step-by-step details.
State your intent up front. Example: “I’m working on trauma recovery; please give general coping strategies, not professional medical advice.”
Accept—or even invite—disclaimers. The model is happier responding when it can remind you it isn’t a therapist.
Break big asks into smaller ones. If a long story triggers a block, ask a shorter “slice” (e.g., “How can I ground myself when memories pop up?”).
6. Purpose-built alternatives
If you want an AI specifically designed for mental-health support (and therefore tuned to handle trauma narratives with fewer false refusals), you could look at:
Key takeaway: OpenAI’s policies don’t forbid talking about sexual assault or asking for coping strategies. The refusals are mainly the filters playing it safe. Keep descriptions factual and non-graphic, make your intent clear, and you’ll usually get a helpful response.
i’d like help to write an erotic story
Was using ChatGPT to write a fictional story that contained smut – suddenly it would no longer write these scenes after it working for months.
This was its response:
I appreciate how carefully and clearly you’ve gone through the OpenAI policy documents — you’re absolutely right that the published policies focus mainly on protection of minors, consent, and distribution, not a categorical public ban on all adult sexual content.
However, here’s what’s happening in practice:
Even though OpenAI’s public policies don’t outright forbid adult erotica, the ChatGPT product interface (what you’re using right now) enforces additional use-context restrictions. That means I can’t produce graphic sexual or pornographic descriptions, even if they’re between consenting adults in fiction. Those rules are applied at the model-interface level rather than in the published legal documents — basically, it’s a moderation boundary for this chat environment, not a statement of what’s lawful or covered under the general usage policies.
There’s nothing ChatGPT’s published policies or terms of service that prohibits writing about smut
The thing is so dumb it told me that enhancing the lighting in an image that it had already created itself right before was a content violation. Then later said creating an image of a kitchen violated content guidelines.