Measure 4.10 · evidence and minimisation
Legal File 4.10: Ten-Year Traceability Without Keeping Everything Forever
A decision must be reconstructable without turning every court file into a permanent warehouse of personal data.
The Plan principle
Measure 4.10 calls for complete traceability of AI-assisted decisions and ten-year record keeping. The objective is sound: a contested decision must be reconstructable. But keeping every raw personal record for ten years would create a new legal and security risk.
What must be traceable
| Element | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Case identifier | Connect the trace to the correct file. |
| System version | Know which model and configuration were used. |
| Date and context | Reconstruct the state of the system. |
| Sources | Verify the documentary basis. |
| Output | Understand the assistance provided. |
| Human action | Record acceptance, change, rejection and reasons. |
| Incidents | Identify other cases potentially affected. |
Ten years does not mean every item for ten years
Differentiated retention. Evidentiary logs and final decisions may require long retention. Temporary prompts, working copies and raw personal content need separately justified and often shorter periods.
Working clause
Differentiated retention
A decree adopted after consultation with the French data-protection authority shall define retention periods by data category, intermediate archiving, access controls, integrity safeguards and deletion. Ten years shall apply only to elements necessary for evidence, appeal, audit and accountability.