ChatGPT bans: The Italian Data Protection Authority also says that OpenAI could be fined if it doesn’t make ChatGPT follow privacy laws in Italy.
OpenAI says that it has stopped giving ChatGPT to users in Italy because that country is looking into the program. But the CEO of the company, Sam Altman, tweeted, “Though we think we follow all privacy laws.”
We of course defer to the Italian government and have ceased offering ChatGPT in Italy (though we think we are following all privacy laws).
— Sam Altman (@sama) March 31, 2023
Italy is one of my favorite countries and I look forward to visiting again soon!
The “illegal” acquisition of user data by ChatGPT has prompted an Italian authority to order a ban on the service.
OpenAI is unable to process users’ data in Italy as of today, according to a statement made by the Italian Data Protection Authority.
In March, GCHQ warns that ChatGPT and competing chatGPT pose a security risk.
OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, has implemented a privacy policy. However, the Italian authority claims that ChatGPT is not in accordance with Europe’s GDPR privacy regulation, which mandates that businesses that collect and store data on EU citizens must do so in a transparent manner.
Importantly, the agency notes that “there appears to be no legal basis underlying the extensive gathering and processing of personal data in order to ‘train’ the algorithms on which the platform relies.”
OpenAI has been criticized by Italy’s data protection authority for not having an age verification system in place for users between the ages of 13 and 18. It also acknowledges that ChatGPT is fallible and can lead to erroneous conclusions about its users. The regulator also notes that ChatGPT exposed consumers’ private information inadvertently just last week.
The Italian government has opened a probe into OpenAI. The government agency warned OpenAI that it may face a punishment of up to €20 million or 4% of the firm’s annual revenue if the company did not comply with the privacy criteria within 20 days.