Developers Face Evolving Laws Challenge in Database Design
Developers worldwide are facing a new challenge: keeping up with evolving laws, social norms, and conventions that demand changes in database variables and data validation rules. This task is not one-sided, as the 'law is code' maxim shows, with laws shaping computer system design. Meanwhile, the 'code is law' principle highlights how these systems influence society.
In Germany, the introduction of a third gender category for intersex individuals, such as 'diverse' since 2018, has required database updates. Similarly, Iceland's use of the 'X' option since 2020 has necessitated changes in official documents and databases. Other countries, like Iceland, have also made such accommodations.
The U.S. Census Bureau has adapted to changing racial and ethnic categories, now allowing multiple races and considering 'Hispanic' as a race. In the U.S. military, the lifting of the ban on women in combat positions may soon require changes in the Selective Service System's database. These examples illustrate how changes in laws can impact software design.
Historically, we've seen this in the Y2K problem, where software had to be updated to accommodate the change from the 20th to the 21st century. Same-sex marriage accommodations also required software changes. Even last-minute tax code changes, like those at the IRS, necessitate immediate software updates.
In an increasingly data-intensive world, developers must be aware that assumptions in databases may not hold true in the future. Data validation, which includes checking input data's correctness and assumptions about the world, is a crucial aspect of this process. As laws, conventions, and social norms evolve, so too must the databases and software that reflect and shape our society.
