OpenAI disables ChatGPT for users in Italy

Microsoft-owned OpenAI has blocked access to its AI chatbot ChatGPT in Italy in response to a local data protection authority’s order to stop processing Italian data for the ChatGPT service.

“We regret that we have disabled ChatGPT for Italian users at the request of the Italian Garante,” OpenAI said in the letter.

In the order, Italian regulator Garante said it was concerned that ChatGPT’s maker was violating the European Union’s (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), claiming that OpenAI had illegally processed the data of Italian citizens.

“ChatGPT cannot in any way continue to process data in violation of data protection laws. The Italian SA has placed an immediate temporary restriction on the processing of data of Italian users by the US company OpenAI, which develops and manages the platform. An investigation was also launched into the facts of the case,” the authority stated.

In addition, the company also said it will issue a refund to all users in Italy who purchased a ChatGPT Plus subscription in March.

We are issuing refunds to all users in Italy who purchased a ChatGPT Plus subscription in March. We are also temporarily suspending subscription renewals in Italy so that users are not charged while ChatGPT is suspended,” OpenAI said.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also confirmed the news on Twitter, saying: “Of course we leave it up to the Italian government and have stopped offering ChatGPT in Italy (although we believe we comply with all privacy laws). Italy is one of my favorite countries and I look forward to visiting again soon!”

OpenAI admitted late last month that some users’ payment information may have been exposed when it took ChatGPT offline due to a bug.

According to OpenAI, the company took ChatGPT offline due to a bug in the open source library that allowed some users to see items from another active user’s chat history.

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