Following an order by Italy’s data protection authority – also known as the Garante – to stop processing the data of Italians for ChatGPT, OpenAI geoblocked access to its generative AI chatbot in Italy on Friday. This makes Italy the first Western country to temporarily ban ChatGPT over concerns surrounding data privacy.
ChatGPT has garnered more than 100 million users since its launch two months ago. The advanced chatbot is just as popular in Italy as in other countries because of its ability to have human-like conversations. However, with Italians unable to access ChatGPT, many of them are turning to VPNs to circumvent the block.
Related Read: How to access ChatGPT in Italy with a VPN
A VPN is one of the safest and most reliable methods to access the internet without censorship. These tools are also commonly used to get around geoblocking employed by websites, such as ChatGPT.
By using a VPN on your device, you can mask your real IP address and replace it with one from the country you desire. In this way, you can gain access to otherwise unavailable services in a matter of minutes.
Therefore, it does not come as a surprise that our website has seen a rise in traffic from Italy following OpenAI’s geoblock on ChatGPT.
ChatGPT has been banned in ChatGPT due to a number of reasons. Firstly, the Garante believes that OpenAI has improperly collected and stored Italians’ data. Secondly, the regulator has also raised concerns about the accuracy of the information provided by ChatGPT. Finally, the lack of an age verification feature to prevent minors from accessing the AI chatbot is another concern highlighted by the authority.