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Italy’s data protection authority, Garante, has officially notified OpenAI that its AI chatbot application, ChatGPT, is in breach of data protection regulations. The watchdog confirmed this information on Monday, indicating its dedication to an investigation initiated last year.
Garante has been a proactive force within the European Union, rigorously assessing AI platform compliance with the bloc’s strict data privacy framework. Last year, it took a bold step by imposing a ban on ChatGPT, citing alleged violations of EU privacy rules. In Monday’s announcement, Garante disclosed that OpenAI, backed by Microsoft, has a 30-day window to present its defense arguments. The investigation is ongoing, incorporating findings from a European task force composed of national privacy watchdogs.
Italy notably became the first Western European country to restrict ChatGPT, a rapidly evolving AI chatbot drawing attention from lawmakers and regulators. The ban was prompted by concerns over potential infringements of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), introduced in 2018. GDPR stipulates that any company found violating data protection rules could face fines of up to 4% of its global turnover.
This development follows a significant milestone in December when EU lawmakers and governments provisionally agreed on terms for regulating AI systems, including ChatGPT. The agreement marked a substantial stride toward establishing comprehensive rules for governing rapidly advancing technology, reflecting the EU’s commitment to safeguarding data privacy in the age of artificial intelligence.
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