New AI tips off regulators to possible EU data privacy faults

(FILES) This file photo taken on November 20, 2017 shows logos of US online social media and social networking service Facebook. Facebook announced on May 24, 2018 it will apply to its users accross the world the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The GDPR, which comes into effect on May 25, 2018, aims to give users more control over how their personal information is stored and used online, with big fines for firms that break the rules. / AFP PHOTO / LOIC VENANCE

Some of the world’s largest technology companies might be breaking the European Union’s new data privacy law, according to an analysis of their policies conducted by artificial intelligence software. 

Researchers from the European Union Institute in Florence worked with the EU’s consumer organisation to create the software. They then used the software to examine the privacy policies of 14 major technology businesses, including by Alphabet Inc, Amazon.com Inc, and Facebook Inc. They found that a third of those clauses were “potentially problematic” or contained “insufficient information”. Another 11% of the policy’s sentences used unclear language, the academics said.