OpenAI Seeks to Block British Columbia Privacy Probe

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia is investigating how ChatGPT handled personal information linked to the Tumbler Ridge shooter, according to Courthouse News Service. OpenAI is asking the British Columbia Supreme Court to quash the investigation or find that the regulator's document order is overly broad.

The investigation began on June 10 and examines personal information submitted through ChatGPT prompts, how the service uses that information, and whether its responses can influence behavior. The regulator requested the shooter's chat logs and OpenAI's records about whether to refer the account to police.

OpenAI says it provided the chat logs to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police after receiving legal process and continues to cooperate with law enforcement. The company argues that the regulator's demands exceed its authority under provincial privacy law and duplicate an earlier joint investigation.

That earlier investigation concluded in May that OpenAI had violated federal and provincial privacy laws through excessive collection, inadequate consent and transparency, inaccurate personal information, and limited access and correction options. The regulator also said OpenAI had started addressing the identified issues.