Italy’s privacy watchdog has blocked ChatGPT’s use within the country, citing privacy concerns over how OpenAI handles user data.

EU countries generally take a stronger stance on privacy than the US and often follow one another’s lead. That doesn’t bode well for ChatGPT in the EU after Italy’s Italian Data Protection Authority decided to block the use of the AI “with immediate effect.”

According to Barron’s, the watchdog said it could not justify “the mass collection and storage of personal data for the purpose of ‘training’ the algorithms underlying the operation of the platform”.

It also expressed concern for the welfare of minors, saying the app “exposes minors to absolutely unsuitable answers compared to their degree of development and awareness.”

It remains to be seen if other jurisdictions will follow suit, although it certainly won’t be surprising if they do.