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Using ChatGPT as a freelancer without exposing client data

· Zecretly

The short answer: As a freelancer you don't have an IT department, and the ChatGPT and Claude business plans require at least two seats. Two steps give you solid protection: turn off training on your chats in your own account, and use Zecretly to replace client data with placeholders before a text or file goes out.

Why does this matter for freelancers?

Whether you work in consulting, coaching, architecture, design or translation, you handle your clients' documents: meeting notes, quotes, plans with addresses, contracts. ChatGPT or Claude can save you time when writing, summarizing and reviewing. At the same time, your clients trust you with their data, and in Switzerland the Federal Act on Data Protection also applies to individuals who process personal data for work. In the EU, the GDPR does the same.

Is a business plan worth it for one person?

Usually not. ChatGPT Business and Claude Team each cost USD 20 per person per month billed annually, or USD 25 billed monthly, and both require at least two seats (as of October 30, 2026). On your own, you pay at least USD 40 a month, for a seat nobody uses. A plan for individuals is cheaper, but there the providers may use your chats for training unless you turn it off.

How do I turn off training?

These labels come from the providers' help pages and may change. Check every now and then that the setting is still the way you want it.

Why isn't that enough on its own?

Even without training, your texts go to the provider and are stored there until you delete them and the retention period has passed. A switch protects against training, not against sharing. Zecretly steps in before that: the real names, addresses and amounts never leave your computer.

What does that look like day to day?

An example with made-up data: a consultant has written notes from a meeting with her client Thomas Huber, including his address, his phone number and a budget of CHF 35,000. She wants a short summary with next steps.

  1. She right-clicks the Word file in File Explorer and chooses “Mit Zecretly schützen” (the menu entry is in German). Notes.zecretly.docx appears next to it.
  2. She skims the copy: instead of Thomas Huber it says [PERSON_1], the address and phone number are replaced, and at the "Strong" level the budget is shifted to a different, plausible amount.
  3. She uploads the copy to ChatGPT and asks for a summary.
  4. She selects the answer and presses Ctrl+Alt+Z. Zecretly puts the name, the address and the real amount back.

This works with any service and any plan, including the free one, and the processing stays on your computer.

What should I watch for in my request?

For restoring in step 4 to work, the placeholders in the answer must look exactly like they do in the copy, square brackets included. If the service turns [PERSON_1] into "Mr. Person" or makes up a name, Zecretly can no longer find that spot. So add one sentence to your request, for example:

"Summarize these notes in five bullet points and suggest three next steps. Leave all placeholders in square brackets exactly as they are."

The answer shows the budget as the shifted amount. Only after restoring do you see the real CHF 35,000 again. Before restoring, take a quick look to make sure all placeholders are still there. If one is missing, fill in the value by hand.

What can't Zecretly do?

Zecretly doesn't find every value. Descriptions like "the founder of the gym on Main Street", text in images and scanned PDFs without a text layer aren't reliably detected. PDFs lose their layout. So read through the protected copy before you upload it. And whether you're allowed to share certain data, for example under a contract with your client, is not something Zecretly can answer.

Sources

Read next: Protect client data without a costly business plan, with all prices and the rules on training. Or download Zecretly right away.