ChatGPT back to Italy after short ban

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
29 Apr 2023 13:06

A new form that EU users can use to request the removal of personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is enlisted among the changes.

ChatGPT logo seen in this illustration taken, on February 3, 2023 (Reuters)

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, announced that access to its service has now been restored in Italy.

"ChatGPT is once again available to our users in Italy." We are happy to have them back and will continue to respect their privacy," as per the company's statement.

OpenAI claimed it had “addressed or clarified” the issues brought up by the Italian Data Protection Authority (or GPDP) in late March.

The GPDP charged ChatGPT with illegally gathering user data and failing to stop minors from accessing objectionable content. Regulators gave the company 20 days to fix the problems before stating in mid-April that ChatGPT could resume operations if it did so by April 30.

A new form that EU users can use to request the removal of personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is enlisted among the changes. Additionally, it states that a new tool will check users' ages in Italy when they sign up, and it has a help center article outlining how OpenAI and ChatGPT gather personal data that includes contact information for its GDPR-mandated data protection officer.

Investigations into the company's operations, including how it gathers training data for its extensive language model and what data it outputs to users, have been launched or are being investigated in Spain, Canada, and other nations.

Additionally, the AI Act, which could impose new requirements on businesses like OpenAI and possibly necessitate significant new information disclosures, is being advanced by European legislators.