Home » The Privacy Guarantor blocks the “virtual friend” chatbot in 3D: risks for minors

The Privacy Guarantor blocks the “virtual friend” chatbot in 3D: risks for minors

by admin
The Privacy Guarantor blocks the “virtual friend” chatbot in 3D: risks for minors

This harassment has been an issue users have been complaining about for nearly two years, but many of the one-star reviews mentioning sexual assaults date back to January.

The “virtual friend” – presented as being able to improve the user’s emotional well-being – would help the user understand their thoughts and calm their anxiety, through stress management, socialization and the search for love.

But for the Guarantor it has “characteristics which, by intervening on the person’s mood, can increase the risks for subjects still in a stage of development or in a state of emotional fragility”.

Furthermore, any age verification mechanism is missing: filters for minors, but also app blocks in front of statements in which the user explicitly states that he is a minor. During the creation of an account, the platform only requests name, e-mail and gender. The “answers” from the chatbot are often clearly in contrast with the enhanced protections that must be ensured for minors and all the most fragile subjects, the Guarantor reiterates.

Technically, Replika violates the European regulation on privacy, does not respect the principle of transparency and carries out unlawful processing of personal data, as it cannot be based, even if only implicitly, on a contract that the minor is unable to conclude. Consequently, the US developer company, Luka Inc, in addition to having to interrupt the processing of data of Italian users, must communicate within 20 days the measures undertaken in implementation of the requirements of the Guarantor, under penalty of a fine of up to 20 million euros or up to 4% of global annual turnover.

You may also like

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More

Privacy & Cookies Policy