The Italian data-protection authority said there were privacy concerns relating to the model, which was created by US start-up OpenAI and is backed by Microsoft. Elsewhere, the Irish data protection commission - responsible for upholding the fundamental right of individuals in the EU to have their personal data protected - told the BBC it is following up with the Italian regulator to understand the basis for their action and "will coordinate with all EU data protection authorities" in connection to the ban. ChatGPT is already blocked in a number of countries, including China, Iran, North Korea and Russia