ChatGPT is available again in Italy after a temporary ban

OpenAI says it has met several conditions set out by a regulator.

OpenAI says ChatGPT is available again in Italy after meeting a series of conditions set by regulators. Data protection authority Garante wanted OpenAI to resolve several issues by the end of this month in order to lift a temporary ban on the chatbot.

"ChatGPT is available again for our users in Italy," OpenAI told Associated Press in a statement. "We are delighted to welcome them back and we remain committed to protecting their privacy."

Italian regulators blocked ChatGPT in March over concerns that the training methods and AI chatbot could violate the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Officials ordered OpenAI to stop processing users' personal information in the country while they investigate a possible data breach.

Earlier this month, Garante asked OpenAI to ensure there was a privacy disclosure on the website that details how data is collected and used to train ChatGPT's algorithms. The watchdog also asked the company to offer a form for EU users to object to the use of their data for training purposes and to add a verification system for the age.

OpenAI added privacy controls to ChatGPT this week. Among other things, the settings allow users to disable their chat histories, which prevents OpenAI from using this data for training purposes. According to TechCrunch, users in Italy now see a pop-up asking them to confirm that they are at least 18 years old or, if they are between 13 and 17 years old, that they have parent or guardian consent to use ChatGPT.

The Italian data protection authority said in a statement that it "welcomes the measures implemented by OpenAI", although it urged the company to comply with other requests made by the Garante . "This applies in particular to the establishment of an age verification system and the planning and execution of an information campaign to inform Italians of what happened as well as their right to object to the processing of their personal data for training algorithms."

The watchdog added that it hopes OpenAI will continue its efforts to comply with GDPR and suggested keeping an eye on ChatGPT. "The Italian [supervisory authority] will continue its investigative activities regarding OpenAI also under the aegis of the ad hoc working group set up by the European Data Protection Board," the statement concludes.