American Civil Liberties Union : Genetics and Race

The Technology & Liberty Project monitors the interplay between cutting-edge technology and civil liberties, actively promoting responsible uses of technology that enhance privacy and freedom, while opposing those that undermine our freedoms and move us closer to a surveillance society.

Genetics and Race

The use of racial categories in genomic biology and biomedicine has become increasingly common, as seen in racial identification of DNA samples and race-specific pharmaceuticals such as BiDil. Against the historical backdrop of the American eugenics movement, such classification should be viewed with caution. While racial health disparities are an important challenge for public health, it is important that interventions not reinforce the inequalities they seek to address. The ACLU is currently monitoring these developments.

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