Italian supervisory authority restricts personal data processing by an AI chatbot
The Italian supervisory authority, Garante, issued an urgent order against Luka Inc. (Luka), a US-based operator of the online app ‘Replika’, an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, which generates a ‘virtual friend’.
The Italian supervisory authority, Garante, issued an urgent order against Luka Inc. (Luka), a US-based operator of the online app ‘Replika’, an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, which generates a ‘virtual friend’. Garante placed a temporary restriction on Luka’s processing of the personal data of Replika’s users in Italy with immediate effect. The intervention followed a series of press reports, which showed the app to pose a risk to minors and emotionally vulnerable individuals.
The Italian authority emphasised that Replika does not disclose essential information about its processing of personal data, in particular children’s data, which stands in violation of GDPR transparency requirements.
About author
DW Team
The GIP Digital Watch Observatory team, consisting of over 30 digital policy experts from around the world, excels in the fields of research and analysis on digital policy issues. The team is backed by the creative prowess of Creative Lab Diplo and the technical expertise of the Diplo tech team.
