Google's Bard chatbot launch in the EU delayed due to privacy concerns

Google has postponed the launch of chatbot Bard in the European Union until privacy issues are resolved.

Here's What We Know

The tech giant unveiled its ChatGPT competitor back in February 2023. At the same time, Google opened a waiting list for those wishing to test the chatbot.

In May, Bard became available to users from 180 countries. However, this did not include all of Europe, with the exception of the UK.

This is because Google does not respond to privacy concerns from the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC). The agency is responsible for the tech giant's operations in the EU.

DPC deputy commissioner Graham Doyle said that Google had "recently" informed the organisation of the upcoming launch of Bard in the EU. The agency has requested a "data protection impact assessment", which is required under EU privacy laws.

However, Google did not provide the requested documents. The DPC has asked a number of additional questions, but still has not received answers from the tech giant.

As a result, according to Doyle, "Bard will not be released this week".

Source: The Verge.