🚔 Targeting by race 💻 Biased data use

racial profiling

7.5

The use of people's race in computer systems to make decisions that hurt certain groups

noun
/ˈreɪʃəl ˈproʊfaɪlɪŋ/

Offensive

: perfilamiento racial

Legislative measures are being introduced to address racial profiling in data-driven decision-making.

Examples

Studies show that racial profiling can lead to significant disparities in criminal justice outcomes.
And we talk past one another because we are defining racial profiling very differently.
Many organizations are working to eliminate racial profiling in law enforcement practices.

Synonyms

racial discrimination

vsracial profiling

Offensive

17 4.1

Unfair treatment of people because of their race or ethnic background

is specific to using race data in automated systems to disadvantage groups

prejudice

vsracial profiling

Specialized

5 7.8

Unfair treatment built into a computer program or information that harms certain groups

is the targeted use of race data in automated decisions that disadvantage groups

How Discriminatory

racial discrimination

Offensive

17 4.1

racial profiling

Offensive

7.5

bias

Specialized

26 5.8

profiling

Specialized

41 7.5

Surface Forms

racial profiling singular

racial profilings plural

Morphology

racial + profiling

The noun phrase is a straightforward composition: 'racial' (relating to race) modifies 'profiling' (the practice of analyzing or categorizing people), so a learner who knows both words can infer it means profiling based on race. While the full legal and ethical connotations (discrimination, automated decision-making harms) may require extra context, the basic referential meaning is directly derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Racial profiling in technology means a computer or system builds a profile from data that includes race and then makes choices that 'disadvantage' some groups. That's why the term now covers using race in automatic decisions that harm people.