On Friday, OpenAI and the Italian data protection authority confirmed that the ChatGPT chatbot had been reactivated in Italy after OpenAI addressed the issues that had been raised.
Last month, Garante, Italy’s data protection authority, temporarily banned ChatGPT and launched an investigation into the AI application’s suspected breach of privacy rules. As a result, OpenAI, which is backed by Microsoft, took the chatbot offline in Italy.
Garante had set a deadline of Sunday for OpenAI to address its concerns and enable the chatbot to start operating again in Italy. OpenAI was able to meet this deadline and resolve the issues raised by Garante, resulting in the chatbot’s reactivation in Italy.
Last month, Garante made a statement declaring that the collection and storage of personal data by ChatGPT lacks any legal basis for the purpose of “training” the chatbot. Additionally, Garante accused OpenAI of not verifying the age of ChatGPT users who are required to be at least 13 years old. In response, OpenAI will introduce a tool in Italy that verifies the age of users upon sign-up.
OpenAI announced on Friday that it will increase the visibility of its privacy policy and provide a user content opt-out form. Furthermore, the company will introduce a new form for European Union users to assert their right to object to the usage of their personal data in training OpenAI’s models, as stated by a company spokesperson.
The provided form mandates individuals who desire to opt out to disclose comprehensive personal details, along with evidence of data processing via relevant prompts.
The Garante acknowledged the measures taken to integrate technological advancements while upholding people’s rights. It anticipates that the company will persist on this path of adhering to European data protection regulations.
ChatGPT’s rapid growth has captured the interest of legislators and regulators in various countries, with Italy being the first Western European nation to regulate it.
On Thursday, a group of European Union legislators reached a consensus on fresh regulations that would mandate businesses utilizing generative AI technologies, like ChatGPT, to reveal any copyrighted content employed in creating their systems.
In response to Garante’s inquiry into ChatGPT, the European Data Protection Board, which brings together national data privacy regulators in Europe, created a specialized team to investigate the chatbot earlier this month.
Garante has announced that it will persist in its investigation of ChatGPT and collaborate with the dedicated task force.