Italy: Data Protection Authority investigation into Replika over alleged violations of GDPR provisions pertaining to legal basis for data processing and insufficient age verification

Progress

Current status
in force
10 Apr 2025 in force
22 Jun 2023 in force
02 Feb 2023 under investigation

Scope

Implementers
Italy
Policy Area
Data governance
Policy Instrument
Data protection regulation
Regulated Economic Activity
ML and AI development
Government Branch
executive
Government Body
data protection authority
Implementation Level
national

Timeline of events

10 Apr 2025
in force

Data Protection Authority fined Replika chatbot provider Luka EUR 5 million for GDPR violations related to legal basis for data processing and age verification

On 10 April 2025, the Italian Data Protection Authority (DPA) announced that it had fined Luka, the provider of the artificial intelligence chatbot Replika, EUR 5 million for violating the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The DPA identifie…

Source
Event type investigation
Action type ruling
Government branch executive
Government body data protection authority
22 Jun 2023
in force

Data Protection Authority issued corrective measures to Replika to address alleged violations of GDPR provisions related to the legal basis for data processing and insufficient age verification

On 22 June 2023, the Italian Data Protection Authority (DPA) concluded its investigation into the Replika artificial intelligence (AI) service, which began on 2 February 2023. The DPA instructed Luca Inc. to enhance its privacy policy and age verifi…

Source
Event type investigation
Action type ruling
Government branch executive
Government body data protection authority
02 Feb 2023
under investigation

Issued provisional order banning Luka/Replika from processing Italian users' data

On 2 February 2023, the Italian Data Protection Agency (DPA) issued a provisional order banning Luka, the developer and operator of the Artificial Intelligence-powered chatbot Replika, from processing the personal data of Italian users. The United …

Source
Event type investigation
Action type interim ruling
Government branch executive
Government body data protection authority