UK Information Commissioner concerned about Snapchat chatbot's … – EURACTIV
By Julia Tar | EURACTIV.com
10-10-2023 (updated: 10-10-2023 )
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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Languages: Deutsch
The British Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) issued a preliminary enforcement notice against Snapchat last Friday (6 October) due to the social platform possibly failing to assess the privacy risks of “My AI”, its artificial intelligence (AI) bot.
My AI is Snapchat’s generative chatbot, introduced this year and powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which also sparked data protection concerns before in the European Union.
Snap’s chatbot is the first generative AI in a major messaging platform available in the UK.
According to one of their blog posts, the preliminary notice, which the ICO issued in this case, means that the commissioner’s office could require the company to take steps. If the enforcement notice would be final, Snap could be forced to stop processing data in connection with My AI.
The Information Commissioner’s Office found that risk assessment conducted by Snap before the My AI was launched “did not adequately assess the data protection risks posed by the generative AI technology, particularly to children”, the blog post notes.
“The provisional findings of our investigation suggest a worrying failure by Snap to adequately identify and assess the privacy risks to children and other users before launching ‘My AI’”, said British Information Commissioner John Edwards.
However, a spokesperson from Snapchat told Euractiv that they conducted a “robust legal and privacy review process” before the publication of My AI.
Italy’s recent ban on ChatGPT and looming data protection troubles related to the AI chatbot in Germany have sparked Europe-wide debate between those ecstatic about the tool and others who fear its development.
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Compared to ChatGPT, MyAI has “additional safety enhancements and controls unique to Snapchat”.
For instance, My AI considers Snapchatters’ age during the conversation, and those using Snap’s Family Center can view if their children have been communicating with My AI.
“All the content shared with My AI is stored until you delete it”, Snapchat’s blog post reads.
“We have been clear that organisations must consider the risks associated with AI alongside the benefits. Today’s preliminary enforcement notice shows we will take action to protect UK consumers’ privacy rights”, Edwards added last Friday, possibly referring to a reminder by ICO in June to companies using generative AI to pay attention to data protection obligations.
The privacy watchdogs of the G7 countries are set to detail a common vision of the data protection challenges of generative AI models like ChatGPT, according to a draft statement seen by EURACTIV.
The Snapchat spokesperson told Euractiv that they are “closely reviewing the ICO’s provisional decision. Like the ICO, we are committed to protecting the privacy of our users”.
“We will continue to work constructively with the ICO to ensure they’re comfortable with our risk assessment procedures”, the spokesperson added.
While it is possible, the current notice does not mean that there has certainly been a breach of data protection law nor that a final enforcement notice will necessarily follow.
Euractiv reached out to the European Commission for comment on whether this could result in a similar notice in the EU, but they did not respond by the time of the publication.
[Edited by Alice Taylor]
Languages: Deutsch
