- Chief Compliance Officer and VP of Legal Affairs, Arrow Electronics
By 
Neil Hodge2023-02-16T21:00:00
Italy’s data protection authority Garante earlier this month banned U.S.-based artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot creator Replika from processing the personal data of users in the country because of the risks the service posed to minors and vulnerable people.
Replika’s chatbot is marketed as an “AI companion who cares” because it offers users personalized avatars that talk and listen to them and help their emotional well-being. In a Feb. 3 notice, Garante criticized the app’s failure to protect children by allowing it to send inappropriate and sexually explicit responses to young users.
The case serves as an example of why tech companies must use “privacy by design” when launching new products and services.
THIS IS MEMBERS-ONLY CONTENT. To continue reading, choose one of the options below.
News and analysis for the well-informed compliance or audit exec.
Register for free
Access one free, non-premium article each month.
Complimentary CPE webcasts, resources, and e-Books.
Annual Membership best value
Subscribe now for $365
Our lowest price ($1 per day) for one year.
The General Data Protection Regulation risks losing credibility if enforcement is not harmonized and privacy by design is not at the heart of tech innovation, said EU officials during a summit marking the fifth anniversary of the legislation.
The Information Commissioner’s Office warned social media platform TikTok it could be fined £27 million (U.S. $29 million) for failing to protect children’s data in line with the U.K.’s version of the General Data Protection Regulation.
Instagram is set to be fined €405 million (U.S. $401 million) by Ireland’s data protection regulator for failing to adequately secure teenage users’ data in line with the General Data Protection Regulation.
TikTok is suspending new features amid an inquiry by the European Commission into its compliance with the Digital Services Act, all while responding to a U.S. ban just signed into law.
The Czech Republic’s data protection authority issued a fine of 351 million Czech koruna (U.S. $15 million) against antivirus software vendor Avast for alleged violations of the General Data Protection Regulation.
Consolidated Nuclear Security agreed to pay $18.4 million to settle alleged False Claims Act violations regarding the submission of timecards for unworked hours to the National Nuclear Security Administration.
