Italy fines OpenAI $15.7 million for data protection and privacy violations

Italy’s data protection authority has fined OpenAI $15.7 million and ordered the ChatGPT maker to launch a six-month public awareness campaign following an investigation into data collection for OpenAI’s flagship AI model. The Italian Data Protection Authority (IDPA, also known as Garante) said in a statement on Dec. 20 that its investigation found that OpenAI did not inform the agency about a data breach that occurred in March 2023. The watchdog said OpenAI also “processed users’ personal data” to train the Chatbot without first determining “sufficient legal basis” for the action, violating “the principle of transparency and relevant information obligations to users.” (Cointelegraph)