Snapchat UK fails to assess My AI privacy risks
Snapchat owner Snap Inc has been issued with a provisional enforcement notice by the UK privacy watchdog for failing to assess privacy risks its My AI chatbot poses to users, notably children.
The (ICO) said Snap had failed to 'adequately identify and assess the risks' to several million UK users of My AI, including among 13- to 17-year-olds. Snap responded by saying it would 'work constructively' with the ICO, and that it had carried out a 'robust legal and privacy review' before My AI was launched.
Should a final notice be issued, the service would be halted and Snap fined up to 4% of its annual global turnover.
Snap was the first social media platform to adopt an AI-powered chat function. Initially available to Snapchat+ subscribers, My AI was rolled out across Snapchat's entire user base in April 2023.
Databank
Operator:
Developer: Snap Inc
Country: UK
Sector: Media/entertainment/sports/arts
Purpose: Generate text
Technology: Chatbot; NLP/text analysis; Neural network; Deep learning; Machine learning; Reinforcement learning
Issue: Privacy
Transparency: Governance
System
Legal, regulatory
UK Information Commissioner's Office (2023). UK Information Commissioner issues preliminary enforcement notice against Snap
News, commentary, analysis
Page info
Type: Incident
Published: October 2023