Snap Inc. launched the My AI feature for its photo-sharing platform, Snapchat in April. The feature, which is powered by OpenAI’s technology, can conversate with Snapchat users. The ChatGPT-powered feature is facing the risk of getting banned in the UK. The concern about the feature is that it may be putting the privacy of children at risk. Earlier, Snapchat users have also complained about the ChatGPT integration that remains pinned to the top of their chats.
Why the UK may ban Snapchat’s My AI feature
The UK’s privacy regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has a warning for Snapchat. In a blog post, the regulator reported that the company doesn’t seem to have carried out a proper risk assessment concerning child privacy.
The regulator noted: “Investigation provisionally finds Snap failed to adequately identify and assess the risks to several million ‘My AI’ users in the UK including children aged 13 to 17 […]. The ICO’s investigation provisionally found the risk assessment Snap conducted before it launched ‘My AI’ did not adequately assess the data protection risks posed by the generative AI technology, particularly to children. The assessment of data protection risk is particularly important in this context which involves the use of innovative technology and the processing of personal data of 13 to 17-year-old children.”
The ICO also noted that this is only a provisional finding, and will allow the company to prove that its conclusions are wrong. However, the UK may ban the feature if the company fails to prove the regulator wrong.
“If a final enforcement notice were to be adopted, Snap may be required to stop processing data in connection with ‘My AI’. This means not offering the ‘My AI’ product to UK users pending Snap carrying out an adequate risk assessment,” ICO highlighted
Snapchat earlier warned users about ChatGPT
Even while integrating ChatGPT into Snapchat, the company warned its users not to share secrets with the AI. Snap mentioned that the information users share with the chatbot will not be private.
The company said: “All conversations with My AI will be stored and may be reviewed to improve the product experience. Please do not share any secrets with My AI and do not rely on it for advice.”
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