Requerse

Requerse is a term used in legal-technical drafting to denote a binding data-handling obligation embedded in contracts and policy documents. In this use, a requerse specifies a requirement that must be met by a party and that carries enforceable consequences if not complied with.

Etymology and form: Requerse appears to be a coinage blending the English verb require with a Romance-language style suffix. It has appeared in industry writing since the late 2010s. In common practice, requerse is used as both a noun and a verb: as a noun, a requerse is the obligation itself; as a verb, to requerse means to impose such an obligation on a person, system, or process.

Scope and examples: Requerse items commonly appear in data privacy and information security contracts, vendor-management agreements, and compliance addenda. Examples include encryption at rest, access-control requirements, and data-retention periods. For instance, a contract requerse encryption at rest and in transit, and requires audit logs for a minimum of six years. Another example is a policy that requerse routine third-party risk assessments for new subvendors.

Reception and alternatives: Some practitioners treat requerse as synonymous with obligation, mandate, or contractual condition, while others reserve it for obligations that are enforceable through contractual remedies. See also: obligation, compliance, contract drafting.