Italy becomes first country to curb ChatGPT over privacy concerns

OpenAI has shut down ChatGPT in Italy following the temporary ban imposed by the government’s Data Protection Authority. The AI chatbot is under investigation for alleged violations of privacy rules. Garante accused OpenAI of failing to verify the age of users who must be at least 13 years old. According to the agency, ChatGPT collects and stores personal data without any legal basis. OpenAI has 20 days to respond or face a fine of up to €20 million ($21.68 million) or 4% of its annual global turnover. The company has disabled the service for Italian users in response to Garante’s request. Since its launch, ChatGPT has gained widespread adoption and has prompted calls for greater regulation. The European Commission is currently debating the EU AI Act, which will govern the use of AI in the bloc. European consumer group BEUC has called for EU authorities to investigate ChatGPT and similar chatbots.

Sources: CGTN