Italy’s data protection authority has fined OpenAI €15 million for privacy violations related to ChatGPT. According to Reuters reporter Elvira Pollina, the regulator found that the company processed personal data without proper legal basis and lacked adequate age verification for users under 13. The authority ordered OpenAI to launch a six-month media campaign in Italy to explain how ChatGPT collects and uses data. OpenAI called the decision “disproportionate” and plans to appeal, stating the fine is nearly twenty times their Italian revenue during the period in question. The fine follows a temporary ban of ChatGPT in Italy last year, which was lifted after OpenAI addressed initial privacy concerns. The penalty was determined under EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, which allows fines up to €20 million or 4% of global turnover.