Maybe I’m just silly, but this app strikes me as a commentary on our approach to our digital lives:
Let’s be real: When you download a new app, you probably don’t bother to read its privacy policy first. I write about privacy as a journalist and even I rarely bother to read those policies. They’re written in eye-glazing legalese perfectly calibrated to make any normal human being want to stop reading as soon as possible.
Who can blame us for rushing to check that little box that says we agree to the terms of service?
Now, a new tool called Guard promises to read the privacy policies of various apps for us. It harnesses the power of AI to analyze reams of text, breaking down each sentence for the level of risk it represents for our privacy. [Vox]
Meaning we can’t find a better way to actually have agreements that are readable by non-lawyers. Instead, we have to employ a computer proxy which will read and evaluate these agreements, without having any idea if it’s doing a worthwhile job or not – and you can bet your booties it won’t come with some sort of guarantee or warranty as to whether it does anything more than take up bits in your computer.
It’s rather like asking a randomly selected stranger at a law conference to go over your last will and testament and pronounce whether it meets applicable legal standards or not. Maybe your stranger is a lawyer with the appropriate specialization, but then again, maybe not.
