Sovereign ATS: keeping your candidates' data in France

6 min read · updated 2026-06-30

Most recruiting software stores your candidates' CVs outside Europe, or with vendors subject to US law. Here is why that is a problem, and what a sovereign ATS actually means.

The CLOUD Act, or why "servers in Europe" is not enough

The CLOUD Act is a US law that lets US authorities require access to data held by a US company — even if that data is physically stored in Europe.

As a result, hosting "in Frankfurt" or "in Dublin" does not protect you if the vendor's parent company is American. Jurisdiction follows the company, not just the datacenter. For data as sensitive as job applications, that is not a detail.

What a CV really reveals

An application is not harmless data: name, contact details, full career history, sometimes a photo, a nationality, or health and family information slipped into a cover letter.

This personal data is entrusted by people looking for a job. Letting it travel outside the EU, without need, weakens both their privacy and your GDPR compliance.

Sovereignty and GDPR: linked but distinct

GDPR frames how you process data (consent, retention, individual rights). Sovereignty concerns where and under which jurisdiction that data lives.

A tool can be "GDPR-compatible" on paper while hosting your data with a vendor subject to the CLOUD Act. A truly sovereign ATS addresses both: native GDPR compliance AND hosting beyond extra-European reach.

Four questions to ask your vendor

1. Where is the data physically hosted? (region, country)

2. Who is the host, and what is the parent company's nationality? (CLOUD Act or not)

3. How long are CVs kept, and is deletion automatic?

4. Can a candidate easily retrieve or erase their data?

aiKip's approach

aiKip is hosted in France, on French infrastructure (Scaleway, Paris region), outside the scope of the CLOUD Act. That choice was made by design, because it cannot be added afterwards.

On top of that come GDPR safeguards by default: mandatory explicit consent on applying, automatic anonymisation after 24 months, and one-click data export, for recruiter and candidate alike. Sovereignty is not a marketing claim: it is an architecture decision.

Frequently asked questions

What is a sovereign ATS?

A recruiting software (Applicant Tracking System) whose data is hosted and operated under European jurisdiction, beyond the reach of extra-European laws such as the CLOUD Act, with native GDPR compliance.

Is hosting in Europe enough to be sovereign?

Not always. If the vendor or its host is a US company, the CLOUD Act can apply despite a European datacenter. Sovereignty depends on the company's jurisdiction, not only the server location.

How long can you keep a CV?

France's CNIL recommends not keeping a rejected candidate's data beyond 2 years after last contact, absent a legal basis. A good ATS automates this deletion — aiKip anonymises after 24 months.