The ICO’s initial investigation suggests the owner of the social media app did not adequately evaluate risks to My AI service users.
Snapchat may be at risk of facing a substantial fine in the millions of pounds, following a preliminary enforcement notice from the UK data regulator. This notice relates to the alleged failure of Snapchat’s owner to adequately evaluate the privacy risks associated with its artificial intelligence chatbot, especially concerning users, including children. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has tentatively concluded that the social media app’s parent company did not sufficiently recognize and assess the risks to several million UK users of My AI, including those aged 13 to 17. In the UK, Snapchat boasts 21 million monthly active users, with a strong presence among younger demographics, where approximately 48% of users are estimated to be 24 years old or younger, and 18% fall within the 12 to 17 age group.
John Edwards, the Information Commissioner, expressed concern over the preliminary investigation results, indicating Snap (the parent company of Snapchat) had failed to adequately recognize and evaluate privacy risks for children and other users prior to launching My AI.
The ICO emphasized that these investigative findings are provisional, and Snap has until October 27th to provide its input before a final decision is made regarding potential actions.
It was stressed by the ICO that no definitive conclusion should be drawn at this stage, neither regarding any actual breach of data protection laws nor the issuance of an enforcement notice.
Should a final enforcement notice be issued, Snap would be compelled to halt data processing related to My AI, resulting in the service being blocked for UK customers until the company carries out a comprehensive risk assessment for the service.
While the ICO’s primary objective is to prevent potential privacy breaches and ensure My AI’s compliance, it also possesses the authority to impose a fine of up to 4% of Snap’s global turnover, which amounted to $4.6 billion (£3.8 billion) in global revenues last year, or a maximum of £17.5 million.
My AI relies on OpenAI’s GPT technology, which has been at the forefront of the global artificial intelligence competition. Its introduction marked the first instance of generative AI being integrated into a major messaging platform in the UK.
John Edwards stated, “We have consistently emphasized that organizations must consider both the risks and benefits associated with AI. Today’s preliminary enforcement notice underscores our commitment to taking action to safeguard the privacy rights of UK consumers.”
Snap introduced the My AI feature initially for Snapchat+ subscribers in February, and it was subsequently made available to its entire user base in April.
A Snap spokesperson remarked, “We are carefully assessing the ICO’s provisional decision. Similar to the ICO, we are dedicated to preserving the privacy of our users.
