Snapchat’s My AI feature is facing the prospect of a ban in the UK, over concerns that it may be putting the privacy of children at risk.
It follows separate user outrage at the ChatGPT integration being pinned to the top of their chats, and a mix of concern and amusement when the chatbot went rogue …
Snapchat My AI feature
Snapchat’s My AI is the company’s branding for the ChatGPT integration it added to the app back in February.
Today we’re launching My AI, a new chatbot running the latest version of OpenAI’s GPT technology that we’ve customized for Snapchat. My AI is available as an experimental feature for Snapchat+ subscribers, rolling out this week.
However, even at the time, the company saw a need to warn users not to share secrets with the AI, as information shared is not private.
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.
UK warns company to review privacy
The UK’s privacy regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), says the company doesn’t appear to have carried out a proper risk assessment in respect of child privacy.
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 stresses that this is only a provisional finding, and it is open to representations by the company to show that its conclusions are wrong. However, if the company fails to do so, then the feature may be banned in the UK.
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.
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