Italy has lifted its ban on the use of the artificial intelligence chatbot, ChatGPT, after it was temporarily blocked for over a month. According to AFP news agency, a representative from the developer of ChatGPT, OpenAI, stated on May 28th that “Italian users can now resume using ChatGPT, and we will continue to do our best to protect personal data in the future.”
The Italian authorities had blocked access to ChatGPT on April 31st citing concerns over the protection of personal data. The Italian Data Protection Authority accused OpenAI of illegally collecting users’ personal data and failing to implement an age verification system to prevent minors from accessing inappropriate content.
As a condition for resuming service, the Data Protection Authority demanded that OpenAI publish information about how ChatGPT processes data on its website, provide tools for correcting inaccurate personal information, and implement an age verification system.
According to AFP, OpenAI complied with these conditions and was able to resume ChatGPT service in Italy. It remains to be seen whether the AI chatbot will face further scrutiny from regulators as concerns over the protection of personal data continue to grow.