Privacy watchdog: 'EU curbs unlimited power of platforms. Dangers from AI, especially for minors"
In 2024, sanctions collected amount to over 24 million euro. The revenge porn phenomenon is on the rise: 823 reports sent to the Garante by people fearing the dissemination of photos and videos with sexually explicit content, almost three times more than last year
by Andrea Carli and Andrea Gagliardi
4' min read
Key points
4' min read
"An essential part of the European digital governance strategy is also the regulation of the otherwise unlimited private power of platforms". This was said by the president of the Garante per la privacy Pasquale Stanzione, at the presentation of the Annual Report, recalling that the Regulation on political targeting assigns the Authorities "a relevant role in preventing the profiling and selection of content from altering democratic dynamics". "To the platforms there is the risk," he added, "otherwise of delegating the definition of freedoms and the exercise of democracy, redrawing a vertical power".
Stanction: dangers from AI, alliance for child protection
Stanzione also pointed out how the use of AI can give rise to "intolerable dangers", especially for minors who, as digital natives, "weave with neo-technologies an almost osmotic relationship, with undoubted benefits but also, at times, considerable risks". This is why "what is needed is the utmost rigour in respect of age verification obligations and, above all, a common alliance of institutions and educating communities for the promotion of digital awareness among minors".
Investigation against ChatGPT concluded
New emerging technologies, generative artificial intelligence, 'pay or ok' models and the training of AI systems through web scraping, alongside more consolidated activities such as the fight against aggressive telemarketing, the protection of the most vulnerable and the protection of health data. These are the various fronts on which the Privacy Guarantor has been engaged, according to the Annual Report presented today in Parliament. 2024 was the year of the confirmation of Artificial Intelligence in every activity and at the same time of the Garante's search for solutions capable of reconciling this technology's hunger for information with the rights of the individual. In the past year, the Authority concluded its investigation against ChatGPT and ordered OpenAI, the company managing the chatbot, to carry out an information campaign and pay a fine of EUR 15 million. Particular attention was paid to the use of biometric data and the spread of facial recognition systems.
The Authority sent a warning to Worldcoin in relation to the iris scanning project in exchange for cryptocurrencies, without adequate guarantees and the necessary awareness on the part of users. Activities also continued in connection with the processing operations of the Agenzia delle Entrate (Revenue Agency) involving the interchange of information between administrations to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the pre-filled tax return and the redditometro, as well as those related to the operation of the National Register of Education. On the front of the online protection of minors, the past year has seen the continuation of vigilance on the age of registration on social networks, including through 'age verification' systems.
