Germany may block access to the ChatGPT chatbot due to privacy concerns, Handelsblatt reported on Monday.
“In principle, a similar procedure is also possible in Germany,” Ulrich Kelber, spokesman for the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection, told the newspaper, referring to the ban in Italy.
Italian National Data Protection Authority ordered to temporarily block ChatGPT on Friday, as it is investigating the app’s alleged user data leak last month. The Italian regulator has also criticized ChatGPT for not notifying users that it is collecting and storing their information, and for not putting in any filters to verify the user’s age.
Ulrich Kelber stated that there are currently no plans to ban the chatbot in Germany. Kelber’s office is currently requesting “additional information” from the Italian authorities to pass on to state regulators in Germany.
Reuters reported on Monday that French and Irish monitors also contacted their Italian counterparts to discuss the investigation.
The Spanish regulator said it had received no complaints about ChatGPT but did not rule out further investigation.
