Machine learning complicates effects of new EU rules on personal data

You may perhaps have become aware of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The office of the Irish Data Protection Commissioner, via business briefings and media advertising, is increasingly highlighting this new European Union regulation, which comes into effect on May 25th. The GDPR preamble asserts: "The protection of natural persons in relation to the processing of personal data is a fundamental right." The key theme is that each of us owns our own data. Any company must therefore explicitly request permission to use any of our personal data, explaining why it would like to do so, and for how long.