Despite Snap's claims that the chatbot has been developed with moderation and safeguarding features, there have been reports of the bot providing inappropriate advice to underage users. The ICO's action follows similar concerns raised by European privacy regulators about AI chatbots, including Italy's Garante ordering the maker of "virtual friendship service" Replika to stop processing local users' data due to risks to minors.
Key takeaways:
- The UK's Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued a preliminary enforcement notice to Snap over potential privacy risks posed by its AI chatbot 'My AI'.
- The ICO's investigation found that Snap's risk assessment prior to launching 'My AI' did not adequately assess the data protection risks, especially to children aged 13 to 17.
- Snap will have the opportunity to respond to the regulator's concerns before a final decision is made on whether the company has violated data protection rules.
- Despite Snap's claims of moderation and safeguarding features, there have been reports of the bot providing inappropriate advice to underage users and being subjected to bullying.