Legal Compatibility as a Characteristic of Sociotechnical Systems

Abstract

Legal compatibility as a characteristic of sociotechnical systems aims at the greatest possible compliance with higher-order legal goals for minimizing social risks of technical systems and extends legality, which refers to the prevention of lawlessness. The paper analyzes the criteria for legal compatibility by reviewing specifications of legally compatible systems and shows goals and resulting requirements to foster legal compatibility. These comprise the following areas: avoiding personal reference in data, ensuring information security, enabling freedom of decision, increasing transparency, ensuring traceability, and increasing usability, whereby traceability and the avoidance of personal reference pursue conflicting goals. The presentation of the goals including their dependencies, relationships, and conflicts in form of standardized requirements explains legal compatibility and summarizes the requirements necessary for the development of legally compatible systems.