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The British regulator criticizes Snap.
Snap has been placed on the radar of the UK's Information Policy Authority (ICO) over concerns that its artificial intelligence in the form of a chatbot could pose a threat to children's privacy. The ICO announced that it issued a preliminary warning to Snap regarding "a potential flaw in the assessment of privacy risks posed by its generative chatbot 'My AI'."
ICO actions are not related to the violation. However, the notice points to the regulator's concerns that Snap may not have taken steps to ensure that the product complies with data protection regulations that have been tightened since 2021, including the Children's Design Code.
The ICO said the preliminary results of their investigation point to "a disturbing misunderstanding on Snap's part in sufficiently identifying and assessing privacy risks for children and other users before launching 'My AI'." The Information Commissioner, John Edwards, stressed that organizations should consider the risks associated with AI, along with the benefits.
The AI-powered chatbot was launched by Snap in February, using technology from OpenAI's large language model ChatGPT. They were introduced as a virtual friend to ask for advice or send a message to. Despite the stated security measures, there were reports of incorrect behavior of the bot. For example, a chatbot suggested ways to hide the smell of alcohol to a 15-year-old user.
In response to the ICO notification, a Snap spokesperson stated that they are carefully reviewing the ICO's preliminary decision and are committed to protecting the privacy of their users.
This isn't the first time an AI-powered chatbot has faced the attention of European privacy regulators. Earlier, the Italian regulator issued an order to stop processing the data of local users to the Replika chatbot, also expressing concerns about risks for minors.
Regulators are actively and publicly responding to issues related to generative AI-based chatbots, seeking to ensure compliance with existing privacy regulations.
Snap has been placed on the radar of the UK's Information Policy Authority (ICO) over concerns that its artificial intelligence in the form of a chatbot could pose a threat to children's privacy. The ICO announced that it issued a preliminary warning to Snap regarding "a potential flaw in the assessment of privacy risks posed by its generative chatbot 'My AI'."
ICO actions are not related to the violation. However, the notice points to the regulator's concerns that Snap may not have taken steps to ensure that the product complies with data protection regulations that have been tightened since 2021, including the Children's Design Code.
The ICO said the preliminary results of their investigation point to "a disturbing misunderstanding on Snap's part in sufficiently identifying and assessing privacy risks for children and other users before launching 'My AI'." The Information Commissioner, John Edwards, stressed that organizations should consider the risks associated with AI, along with the benefits.
The AI-powered chatbot was launched by Snap in February, using technology from OpenAI's large language model ChatGPT. They were introduced as a virtual friend to ask for advice or send a message to. Despite the stated security measures, there were reports of incorrect behavior of the bot. For example, a chatbot suggested ways to hide the smell of alcohol to a 15-year-old user.
In response to the ICO notification, a Snap spokesperson stated that they are carefully reviewing the ICO's preliminary decision and are committed to protecting the privacy of their users.
This isn't the first time an AI-powered chatbot has faced the attention of European privacy regulators. Earlier, the Italian regulator issued an order to stop processing the data of local users to the Replika chatbot, also expressing concerns about risks for minors.
Regulators are actively and publicly responding to issues related to generative AI-based chatbots, seeking to ensure compliance with existing privacy regulations.
