Following its recent ban on the widely-used AI chatbot ChatGPT over unlawful personal data collection concerns, Italy has set its sights on another major tech player, Meta. Italy’s antitrust authority announced on Friday that it is taking action against Meta for alleged abuse of its dominant market position in relation to music rights on the company’s platforms, which include WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook.
Italy takes a stand against Meta
As Italy takes a stand against Meta, the nation has already made history as the first European country to ban ChatGPT. However, Italian authorities have expressed willingness to lift the ban if the company complies with privacy laws and implements restrictions for minors.
Data Protection Authority chief Pasquale Stanzione suggested that the ban could be lifted as early as April 30 if OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, takes the necessary steps.
The dispute between Meta and Italy’s SIAE (Italian Society of Authors and Publishers) escalated last month when the two parties disagreed on renewing copyright licenses.
Consequently, from March 16, all music published by SIAE has been barred from Meta’s platforms. Italy’s watchdog has urged Meta to resume negotiations with SIAE, asserting that the tech giant’s actions are detrimental to market competition.
Meanwhile, Meta has reportedly initiated a second round of layoffs that will impact employees in India, though the number of affected individuals has not been disclosed. With its stock trading at $213.07, down 1.22% as of press time, Meta faces a challenging situation.
