Description
Transparency disclosure tracking ensures compliance with the EU AI Act Articles 12 and 19: Article 12 requires information to be provided to users, and Article 19 requires comprehensive record-keeping for high-risk AI systems. The system enables compliance officers to monitor which AI interactions require transparency notifications based on automated risk classification and use case categorization, track disclosure status with completion rates and timeliness metrics, verify that end users received appropriate notifications about AI-generated content or automated decision-making, and maintain audit trails of all disclosure activities. Transparency requirements apply to high-risk AI systems under Annex III, including biometric identification, critical infrastructure management, education and employment decisions, essential services, law enforcement, migration control, and justice systems. Compliance officers can mark requests requiring disclosure, track notification delivery, document exemptions where disclosure is not required, and generate transparency compliance reports. The system supports customizable disclosure templates aligned with organizational policies and regulatory requirements, automated disclosure workflows for common scenarios, and exception handling for sensitive contexts where disclosure may be delayed or modified. This feature exists to ensure compliance with EU AI Act transparency obligations, maintain user trust, and provide audit-ready documentation of disclosure practices. It is primarily used by compliance officers for ongoing monitoring, legal counsel for policy development, and operations teams for implementing disclosure workflows.Example
A compliance officer identifies 15 high-risk customer service interactions that require transparency disclosures, in which an AI system made automated decisions about service eligibility without human involvement. She reviews each request context to confirm disclosure requirements apply, marks them as “Disclosure Required” in the system, and verifies through the disclosure tracking dashboard that automated email notifications were sent to all affected customers within 24 hours informing them that AI was used in the decision-making process and providing instructions for requesting human review. She documents two cases in which disclosure was delayed due to ongoing fraud investigations under legal exception policies, generates a transparency compliance report showing a 98% timely disclosure rate, and presents the findings at the monthly compliance review meeting, demonstrating ongoing compliance with Article 12.EU AI Act Transparency Requirements
Article 12: Information to Users
Requirement Overview Users must be informed when interacting with high-risk AI systems, particularly:- When subject to AI system decisions
- When AI-generated content is involved
- When biometric identification is used
- When automated profiling occurs
- That AI system is being used
- Purpose and context of AI usage
- How AI contributes to decision-making
- Right to request human intervention
- Contact information for questions
- Explanation of AI system capabilities and limitations
Article 19: Record-Keeping
Requirement Overview High-risk AI system providers must maintain logs sufficient to:- Demonstrate compliance with transparency obligations
- Show what information was provided to users
- Document when and how disclosures were made
- Track user acknowledgments or objections
- Automatic logging enabled
- Logs retained for appropriate period (typically 1-5 years)
- Logs available for supervisory authority inspection
- Logs protected against tampering (immutable audit trails)
PromptMetrics combines transparency tracking (Article 12) with automatic log retention (Article 19) in an integrated compliance solution.
When Transparency is Required
High-Risk AI Systems Under Annex III
Transparency disclosures are typically required for: Biometric Identification Systems- Real-time biometric identification in public spaces
- Post (non-real-time) biometric identification
- Biometric categorization systems
- Emotion recognition systems
- AI systems managing essential infrastructure (water, energy, transport)
- Decisions affecting infrastructure safety or availability
- AI-based student assessment or grading
- Educational institution admission decisions
- Vocational training evaluation
- Recruitment candidate selection or screening
- Promotion or demotion decisions
- Task allocation or performance monitoring
- Employment termination decisions
- Creditworthiness assessment
- Credit scoring or loan approval
- Insurance risk assessment and pricing
- Emergency service prioritization
- Public benefit eligibility determination
- Risk assessment for crime prediction
- Evidence evaluation or case prioritization
- Suspect identification or profiling
- Asylum or visa application assessment
- Border crossing risk evaluation
- Immigration status determination
- Legal case outcome prediction
- Electoral process influence detection
- Democratic decision support systems
Limited-Risk Transparency
Additional transparency required for:- Chatbots: Users must know they’re interacting with AI
- AI-Generated Content: Clear labeling of synthetic content
- Emotion Recognition: Users informed of emotion analysis
- Biometric Categorization: Users notified of categorization
Marking Requests for Disclosure
Disclosure Workflow
1
Identify High-Risk Interactions
Review automated risk classifications in Request History to identify requests requiring transparency disclosure.
2
Validate Disclosure Requirement
Examine request context, prompt content, and use case to confirm transparency obligation applies.
3
Mark as Disclosure Required
In request detail view, click “Mark for Transparency Disclosure” button to flag the request.
4
Select Disclosure Template
Choose appropriate disclosure template based on use case (biometric, employment, essential services, etc.).
5
Set Disclosure Deadline
System automatically calculates deadline (typically 24-48 hours) based on risk level and regulatory requirements.
6
Trigger Disclosure Workflow
Automated or manual notification sent to affected user(s) with disclosure information.
7
Track Delivery Confirmation
Monitor disclosure status to confirm successful delivery and user acknowledgment.
Disclosure Status Types
Disclosure Required- Transparency obligation identified
- Disclosure not yet sent
- Within required timeframe
- Notification delivered to user
- Delivery confirmation received
- Awaiting user acknowledgment
- User received and acknowledged disclosure
- Audit trail complete
- Compliance obligation satisfied
- Legitimate reason for delay (legal exception)
- Documented justification required
- Alert set for follow-up
- Exemption applies (documented rationale)
- Risk level below transparency threshold
- Use case does not trigger obligation
Tracking Disclosure Status
Disclosure Tracking Dashboard
Dashboard Location: Compliance → Transparency Disclosure Key Metrics- Total requests requiring disclosure: X
- Disclosures completed: X (XX%)
- Disclosures pending: X
- Overdue disclosures: X
- Average time to disclosure: X hours
- Disclosure compliance rate: XX%
| Status | Count | Percentage | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Completed | 1,234 | 95% | ↑ |
| Pending (on-time) | 42 | 3% | → |
| Overdue | 8 | 1% | ↓ |
| Delayed (justified) | 15 | 1% | → |
| Total | 1,299 | 100% |
Disclosure Timeliness Tracking
Monitor disclosure completion times: Timeliness Thresholds- Immediate (< 1 hour): Real-time AI interactions (chatbots)
- Same-day (< 24 hours): High-risk automated decisions
- Standard (< 48 hours): Most Annex III systems
- Extended (< 7 days): Complex cases with legal review
- 95% of disclosures completed within standard timeframe
- 100% within maximum allowable delay (7 days unless legally exempted)
- Zero unresolved overdue disclosures over 14 days
Disclosure Templates & Best Practices
Standard Disclosure Templates
PromptMetrics provides pre-built templates for common scenarios: Biometric Identification DisclosureTemplate Customization
Customize templates to match your organization:- Add company branding and logos
- Include specific contact information
- Reference internal policies
- Translate to multiple EU languages
- Adjust tone and formality
- Add industry-specific details
Best Practices for Disclosure
Clarity and Simplicity
Clarity and Simplicity
Use Plain Language: Avoid technical jargon or legal complexityBe Specific: Clearly state what AI system was used and for what purposeHighlight Rights: Make user rights prominent and actionableProvide Contact: Include clear contact information for questions or objections
Timeliness
Timeliness
Immediate Disclosure: For real-time AI interactions (chatbots, emotion recognition)Prompt Disclosure: Within 24-48 hours for automated decisionsPre-Decision Disclosure: When possible, inform users before AI processing beginsNo Unnecessary Delays: Complete disclosures as quickly as technically feasible
Documentation
Documentation
Log All Disclosures: Maintain audit trail of what, when, how disclosedTrack User Responses: Document acknowledgments, objections, or questionsRecord Exemptions: Document and justify any disclosure delays or exemptionsPeriodic Review: Regularly review disclosure practices for effectiveness
User Experience
User Experience
Multiple Channels: Offer disclosure via email, in-app notification, and websiteAccessible Format: Ensure disclosures are accessible to users with disabilitiesLanguage Options: Provide disclosures in the user’s preferred languageClear Actions: Make it easy for users to request human review or object
Exemptions and Special Cases
When Disclosure May Be Delayed or Modified
Law Enforcement Exemptions- Ongoing criminal investigations where disclosure may compromise the investigation
- National security considerations
- Court order restricting disclosure
- Requirement: Document legal basis, notify supervisory authority, disclose when safe
- Life-threatening emergencies requiring immediate AI-assisted decisions
- Disclosure delayed until the emergency is resolved
- Requirement: Disclose within 48 hours of emergency resolution
- Detailed AI system explanation may reveal proprietary information
- Disclosure modified to protect trade secrets while meeting transparency obligations
- Requirement: Provide sufficient information for user understanding without revealing secrets
- User specifically requests not to receive AI usage notifications
- Documented user consent to waive disclosure
- Requirement: Obtain explicit, informed consent; maintain audit trail
Documenting Exemptions
When invoking the exemption:1
Identify Legal Basis
Document specific legal provision allowing exemption (e.g., GDPR Article 23, criminal investigation).
2
Justify Necessity
Explain why standard disclosure is impossible or inappropriate in this specific case.
3
Time-Bound Exemption
Set the expiration date when normal disclosure will resume, or circumstances will be reviewed.
4
Notify Stakeholders
Inform legal counsel, supervisory authority if required, and document internal approval.
5
Monitor Resolution
Track exemption status and ensure disclosure is completed when the exemption no longer applies.
Automated Disclosure Workflows
Workflow Automation (Pro Plan)
Reduce manual effort with automated disclosure workflows: Trigger Configuration- Automatically mark high-risk requests for disclosure based on risk classification
- Set disclosure deadlines based on use case category
- Select the appropriate disclosure template by AI system type
- Automated email notifications to affected users
- In-app notifications for registered users
- SMS notifications for time-sensitive disclosures (optional)
- Email delivery confirmation
- User acknowledgment tracking (click-through, reply, in-app confirmation)
- Automated follow-up for unacknowledged disclosures
- Alert compliance officer for overdue disclosures
- Escalate to legal for complex exemption cases
- Notify management of systemic disclosure issues
Compliance Reporting
Transparency Compliance Reports
Generate reports demonstrating Article 12 compliance: Report Contents- Total high-risk requests requiring disclosure
- Disclosure completion rate by use case category
- Average time to disclosure
- Overdue disclosure summary with justifications
- Exemption documentation and legal basis
- User objections or complaints
- Corrective actions taken
- PDF for regulatory submissions
- CSV for data analysis
- JSON for programmatic access
- Quarterly supervisory authority reports
- Internal audit reviews
- Board of Directors governance reporting
- Annual compliance certifications
Related Documentation
Compliance Overview
Return to the main compliance officer introduction.
Risk Assessment
Identify high-risk systems requiring transparency disclosures.
Request History
Search and filter requests to identify disclosure requirements.
Compliance Monitoring
Monitor real-time transparency disclosure compliance metrics.