Data modelling as a means of power: At the legal and computer science crossroads.

The process of data modelling can be empowering , as the resulting information system can intentionally or accidentally reshape the real world. Examples from civil and commercial registers from German and European Law illustrate that neither legal nor computer science are sufficiently aware of the risks and opportunities involved. We demonstrate that the power inherent in data modelling is rarely properly accounted for. Awareness seems to be — by and large — universally lacking. Since civil and commercial registers have evolved from paper-based systems, we cast an outlook on registers designed de novo , such as the Transparenz- and Gesellschaftsregister. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]