- 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.
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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.
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