This illustration picture shows icons of Google’s AI (Artificial Intelligence) app BardAI (or ChatBot) (C-L), OpenAI’s app ChatGPT (C-R), and other AI apps on a smartphone screen in Oslo, on July 12, 2023. (Photo by OLIVIER MORIN / AFP)
ROME, Italy — Italy’s Data Protection Agency on Thursday launched an investigation into the AI chatbot of Chinese startup DeepSeek and said it had blocked it from processing Italian users’ data.
The GPDP said it had decided to act after receiving “completely insufficient” answers to its questions about the firm’s use of personal data.
Article continues after this advertisementIn a statement, it said it had ordered “urgently and with immediate effect the restriction of the processing of data of Italian users by Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence and Beijing DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence, the Chinese companies that provide the DeepSeek chatbot service.”
FEATURED STORIES GLOBALNATION American Airlines confirms 60 passengers, 4 crew aboard crashed jet GLOBALNATION No survivors from plane, helicopter collision in Washington GLOBALNATION Senators defend grant of PH citizenship to Chinese businessmanAt the same time, the authority had opened an investigation, it said.
“The restriction measure, designed to protect the data of Italian users, follows the communication from the companies received today, the contents of which were deemed completely insufficient,” it said.
Article continues after this advertisementOn Tuesday, the agency announced it had raised questions with DeepSeek about how personal data was collected, from which sources and to what end, and where it was stored.
Article continues after this advertisement“Contrary to what was observed by the authority, the companies declared they do not operate in Italy and that European legislation does not apply to them,” the statement on Thursday said.
In separate advisories on Monday, Seaoil and Shell Pilipinas said the per-liter prices of gasoline and diesel would be reduced by 50 centavos and 70 centavos, respectively.
According to the group, the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS) is seeking feedback from stakeholders on recommendations to follow several measures as they received a bulletin from the government body informing them of five international standards on textiles published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) intended for adoption under the Philippine National Standards (PNS).
Article continues after this advertisementThe authority had also asked what kind of information was used to train DeepSeek’s AI system and, if the data was scraped from the internet, to clarify how users of the service are informed about the processing of their data.
Based out of the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou — sometimes known as “China’s Silicon Valley” — DeepSeek sparked panic on Wall Street this week with its powerful new chatbot developed at a fraction of the cost of its competitors.
Article continues after this advertisementThe Italian watchdog in December fined OpenAI 15 million euros ($15.6 million) over the use of personal data by its popular ChatGPT chatbot, but the US tech firm said it would appeal.
The investigation began in March 2023 when the GPDP temporarily blocked ChatGPT in Italy over privacy concerns, becoming the first Western country to take such action.
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