KI-Chatbots sammeln immer mehr Nutzerdaten – Meta AI und ChatGPT an der Spitze
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| Source: Mastodon | Original article
A new study released by German security firm All‑About‑Security shows that AI‑driven chatbots are harvesting user data at an accelerating pace, with location tracking now embedded in 70 percent of the 200 apps examined – up from 40 percent a year earlier. Meta’s AI suite and OpenAI’s ChatGPT rank at the top of the list, each embedding geolocation requests in more than three‑quarters of their conversational interfaces.
The surge reflects a broader industry push to enrich large‑language models with contextual signals that improve relevance and personalization. By feeding real‑time location data into prompt‑completion pipelines, providers can tailor responses to local weather, nearby services or regional regulations, thereby boosting engagement metrics that drive advertising revenue. However, the practice collides with tightening privacy regimes across Europe. The EU’s AI Act, slated for full enforcement later this year, classifies high‑risk AI systems that process biometric or location data as subject to stringent transparency and impact‑assessment obligations. Nordic regulators, already known for rigorous GDPR enforcement, have signaled intent to scrutinize AI‑enabled data collection more closely.
The findings also revive concerns raised in our March 31 coverage of Meta’s court setbacks over undisclosed internal research, underscoring a pattern of opaque data handling that could invite further litigation. OpenAI’s recent decision to drop the controversial “adult mode” for ChatGPT hints at a growing caution among AI firms when public backlash meets regulatory pressure.
What to watch next: the European Data Protection Board is expected to issue guidance on AI‑specific consent mechanisms within weeks, potentially forcing chatbot providers to redesign onboarding flows. Meta and OpenAI have both hinted at upcoming privacy‑by‑design updates, and a coalition of Nordic consumer groups plans to file a joint complaint with the European Commission if location tracking remains undisclosed. The next few months will likely determine whether the industry can reconcile personalization ambitions with the region’s high privacy standards.
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