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Good practice Imported

France's Public-Algorithm Transparency Law — "A Dead Letter Since 2016", per the Ombudsman

France · Paris · See the France profile · See the Paris profile

Evidence: Observational / pre–post Top 89% 33/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

France's 2016 law requiring agencies to disclose algorithmic decision rules has gone almost entirely unenforced, the Ombudsman found in Nov 2024, naming only three compliant bodies. Researchers built an independent observatory since regulators had not.

3
Compliant public bodies identified (as of Nov 2024)
8
Years the obligation has been unenforced (2016-2024)
France's Public-Algorithm Transparency Law — "A Dead Letter Since 2016", per the Ombudsman

Details

Maturity
Discontinued
Promoter
Défenseure des droits / Observatoire des algorithmes publics (ODAP)
Period
2016–ongoing (independent monitoring since Nov 2024)
Keywords
public sector, AI governance, transparency, algorithmic accountability

Context

Since 2016, France's Digital Republic Act has required public bodies to publish rules governing algorithms used for individual decisions.

Results

The Defenseure des droits' November 2024 report found the obligation 'has remained a dead letter since 2016', naming only three compliant bodies: France Travail, and the departmental councils of Ille-et-Vilaine and Val-d'Oise.

Conclusions

In the absence of enforcement, independent researchers launched the Observatoire des algorithmes publics (ODAP) in November 2024 to compile an inventory outside government channels; the Ombudsman recommended financial penalties and a public compliance list, neither of which existed at publication.

Implementation
Indicative cost
Low (< €50k)
Time to results
Long (> 3 years)
Staffing & skills
Defenseure des droits (Ombudsman), independent ODAP researchers

Conditions for success

  • introducing financial penalties for non-compliance
  • publishing a public list of compliant/non-compliant administrations

Common failure modes

  • no enforcement mechanism for eight years despite the legal mandate

Commonly funded by

National / regional programmes

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Data sources

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Attachments

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