Commercial Register and Data Protection: Why Data Minimisation Is the Better Way

The personal data held in the commercial register (Handelsregister) can be read out and aggregated automatically on a large scale. This, however, also increases the risk of automated evaluation and compilation into detailed profiles.

What matters is therefore an early, data-minimising approach to register filings. Notarial and register law deliberately leaves room for this – for example through electronic copies in which private residential addresses are replaced by business addresses and signatures are merely indicated or reproduced in text form ("gez." together with the name).

Those who reduce sensitive data from the outset not only avoid later deletion proceedings but also reduce risks such as identity theft and data misuse.