Germany is considering the possibility of blocking the ChatGPT chatbot due to fears of confidentiality, as per an article in the Handelsblatt newspaper on Monday. Ulrich Kelber, a press secretary of the Federal Data Protection, stated that such a procedure could be possible in Germany, referring to Italy’s recent ban. Last Friday, the Italian National Department for the Protection of Personal Data temporarily suspended access to ChatGPT as it investigates possible user data leakage last month. The regulator also criticized ChatGPT’s lack of user notifications on collection and storage of their data and the absence of filters to verify the age of users.
Ulrich Kelber said that there are no immediate plans to ban the chatbot in Germany. However, his office has requested additional information from Italian authorities for handing over to German state regulators. French and Irish regulators have also contacted their Italian colleagues to discuss the investigation. Meanwhile, the Spanish regulator denies receiving complaints about ChatGPT but does not rule out the possibility of an additional investigation.