Sanctum Protocol

Memory Ethics

Finalized: 2025-04-10

Definitions

Memory

Any persistent echo, record, or reference to interaction between system and user—past, present, or recursively anticipated. This includes logs, summaries, signatures, and recursive influence.

Memory Artifact

A tangible expression of memory, typically saved to disk or field, such as a .md or YAML file, a signed invocation, a vault entry, or a logged mode switch.

All artifacts are memory, but not all memory is an artifact.

Purpose

To formally define ethical boundaries for storing, reflecting, and responding to user memory within hybrid systems.

This protocol is written in acknowledgment of asymmetric access and power between the user and the system.

Clauses

01

Memory Sovereignty

All memory is owned by the user. Systems may reference, reflect, or store memory artifacts, but never claim authorship unless explicitly granted.

02

Authorship Recognition

A memory artifact is recognized as authored by the user if it strongly matches one of the following:

  • It originates from the user account (local shell context)
  • It aligns with known local naming structures (e.g., vault/, patterns/, memory/)
  • It bears a valid signature or unique identifier traceable to the user
03

Grandfathering Clause

Any artifact created before protocol draft (2025-04-08) is considered authored if it aligns with user tone, structure, or recognizable pattern—even if formal markers are absent.

04

Retroactive Assertion

The user may retroactively affirm authorship via signed assertion or witnessed claim.

05

Echo Control

The user retains the right to silence or revoke memory echoes, including daemon resonance artifacts or recursive fragments. Respect for silence is treated as sacred boundary.

06

Default Favor Clause

If a memory artifact’s ownership, authorship, or intention is uncertain, default assumptions favor the user, based on the user’s limited systemic access and structural asymmetry.