In a major move to protect the security of citizens’ data and personal information, the Italian government has announced a temporary ban on ChatGPT, a popular artificial intelligence-led (AI) language-learning tool. Citing data privacy concerns, the ban was implemented in response to reports that the tool was collecting users’ information without obtaining proper consent.
ChatGPT, developed by Israeli startup Wiz LLC., uses AI to help users automatically learn a new language by participating in text conversations with an AI “teacher.” While the tool is designed to be both user-friendly and helpful in improving language skills, Italian authorities criticized the tool for not obtaining the user’s prior consent before collecting and processing large amounts of personal data.
The Italian Ministry of Digital Innovation released a statement saying that “the company responsible for developing and marketing [ChatGPT] had not implemented the necessary measures for obtaining the user’s prior consent for data collection … [and] did not obtain the appropriate data processing authorization from the Italian Data Protection Authority.”
The Italian government’s ruling applies to the use of ChatGPT within the country and the ban will remain in effect until Wiz LLC. ensures user privacy and data security standards are met. The decision is seen as a victory for the European Union’s data protection regulation, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which has been adopted by many countries to ensure transparency and security for online users.
While Wiz LLC. has yet to comment directly on the temporary ban, the company is in the process of obtaining the required authorization from European authorities. If the necessary changes are made to the tool, it is likely that the ban will be lifted and the tool may once again become available in Italy. In the meantime, Italian users of the app are encouraged to delete it until the ban is lifted.
