Italian privacy regulator bans ChatGPT

[Google Translation]

Artificial Intelligence: The Guarantor blocks ChatGPT Illegal collection of personal data. Absence of systems for verifying the age of minors

Stop ChatGPT until it respects the privacy regulation. The Guarantor for the protection of personal data has ordered, with immediate effect, the temporary limitation of the processing of data of Italian users against OpenAI, the US company that developed and manages the platform. At the same time, the Authority opened an investigation.

ChatGPT, the best known of the relational artificial intelligence software capable of simulating and processing human conversations, on March 20 suffered a data loss (data breach) regarding user conversations and information relating to the payment of subscribers to the paid service.

In the provision, the Privacy Guarantor notes the lack of information to users and all interested parties whose data is collected by OpenAI, but above all the absence of a legal basis that justifies the mass collection and storage of personal data, for the purpose of "train" the algorithms underlying the operation of the platform.

As evidenced by the checks carried out, the information provided by ChatGPT does not always correspond to the real data, thus determining an inaccurate processing of personal data.

Lastly, although - according to the terms published by OpenAI - the service is aimed at people over the age of 13, the Authority points out that the absence of any filter for verifying the age of users exposes minors to absolutely unsuitable answers compared to the their degree of development and self-awareness.

OpenAI, which does not have an office in the Union but has designated a representative in the European Economic Area, must communicate within 20 days the measures undertaken in implementation of what is requested by the Guarantor, under penalty of a fine of up to 20 million euros or up to 4% of the annual global turnover.

Rome, 31 March 2023

Bene.

[translation with google]

Provision of March 30, 2023

Register of measures n. 112 of 30 March 2023

THE GUARANTOR FOR THE PROTECTION OF PERSONAL DATA

HAVING REGARD TO Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 (hereinafter, the "Regulation");

HAVING REGARD also to the Personal Data Protection Code (Legislative Decree No. 196 of 30 June 2003);

NOTING the numerous interventions by the media regarding the functioning of the ChatGPT service;

DETECTED, from a check carried out in this regard, that no information is provided to users, nor to interested parties whose data was collected by OpenAI, LLC and processed through the ChatGPT service;

NOTING the absence of a suitable legal basis in relation to the collection of personal data and their treatment for the purpose of training the algorithms underlying the functioning of ChatGPT;

NOTING that the processing of personal data of the interested parties is inaccurate as the information provided by ChatGPT does not always correspond to the real data;

DETECTED, moreover, the absence of any verification of the users' age in relation to the ChatGPT service which, according to the terms published by OpenAI LLC, is reserved for individuals who have completed at least 13 years;

CONSIDERING that the absence of filters for minors under the age of 13 exposes them to absolutely unsuitable responses with respect to their degree of development and self-awareness;

CONSIDERING therefore that in the situation outlined above, the processing of personal data of users, including minors, and of interested parties whose data is used by the service is in violation of articles 5, 6, 8, 13 and 25 of the Regulation;

RECOGNIZING, therefore, the need to have, pursuant to art. 58, par. 2, lit. f), of the Regulations - as a matter of urgency and pending the completion of the necessary investigation with respect to what has emerged so far against OpenAI LLC, a US company that develops and manages ChatGPT, the extent of the temporary limitation of the treatment;

CONSIDERING that, in the absence of any mechanism for verifying the age of the users, as well as, in any case, of the complex of violations detected, said temporary limitation must extend to all personal data of the interested parties established in the Italian territory;

CONSIDERED it necessary to order the aforesaid limitation with immediate effect from the date of receipt of this provision, reserving any other determination to the outcome of the definition of the investigation started on the case;

RECALLING that, in the event of non-compliance with the measure established by the Guarantor, the penal sanction pursuant to art. 170 of the Code and the administrative sanctions envisaged by art. 83, par. 5, letter. e), of the Regulation;

CONSIDERING, on the basis of what has been described above, that the prerequisites for the application of art. 5, paragraph 8, of Regulation no. 1/2000 on the organization and functioning of the Guarantor's office, which provides that «In cases of particular urgency and in which the Guarantor cannot be convened in good time, the president can adopt the measures pertaining to the body , which cease to have effect from the moment of their adoption if they are not ratified by the Guarantor in the first useful meeting, to be convened no later than the thirtieth day";

HAVING REGARD to the documentation in the deeds;

ALL THE ABOVE CONSIDERING THE GUARANTOR:

a) pursuant to art. 58, par. 2, lit. f), of the Regulation, urgently provides OpenAI LLC, a US company that develops and manages ChatGPT, as owner of the processing of personal data carried out through this application, the measure of the temporary limitation of the processing of personal data of data subjects established in the Italian territory;

b) the aforesaid limitation has immediate effect from the date of receipt of this provision, subject to any other determination following the outcome of the definition of the investigation started on the case.

The Guarantor, pursuant to art. 58, par. 1, of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, invites the data controller who is the recipient of the provision, also, within 20 days from the date of receipt of the same, to communicate what initiatives have been undertaken in order to implement the provisions and to provide any element deemed useful to justify the violations highlighted above. Please note that failure to respond to the request pursuant to art. 58 is punished with the administrative sanction pursuant to art. 83, par. 5, letter. e), of Regulation (EU) 2016/679.

Pursuant to art. 78 of the Regulation, as well as the articles 152 of the Code and 10 of Legislative Decree lg. 1 September 2011, no. 150, opposition to this provision may be lodged with the ordinary judicial authority, with an appeal lodged with the ordinary court of the place where the data controller has his residence, within the term of thirty days from the date of communication of the provision itself, or sixty days if the appellant resides abroad.

In Rome, March 30, 2023

THE PRESIDENT Station

Crazy to see how fast all of this is evolving. Honestly the downside of explosive growth is that all of a sudden you need to ramp up resources to deal with these sort of legal T&C issues.

It makes sense that now that they're huge they need to operate as a more mature company.

They'll hire some expensive lawyers and enable Facebook style age verification on sign up and they'll get away from this one. But I'm sure they'll have a thousands of other random requests from all over the world

I really don't get this kind of bans. When I connect to a service in the US, my bits are traveling there. Italy "banning" ChatGPT (whatever it means) is like preventing me from getting high in Amsterdam because, as an Italian citizen, I should not be allowed to.. Never got it, and never will.