Abstract
The risk of covid-19 related death among some ethnic groups is significantly higher than in those of white ethnicity. Without collecting, registering, and using data about patients’ ethnicity we would not be informed about these important (and undesirable) ethnic differences. This letter argues that the view that registration of ethnicity is not allowed under current privacy laws is a crucial and persisting misunderstanding. Although the GDPR’s main rule is that processing of personal data about race or ethnic background is forbidden, processing of such data for research is not unlawful under certain conditions, such as informed consent or taking measures and providing safeguards in accordance with Article 89 of the GDPR. The authors conclude that the law is not an obstacle for registering ethnicity for research, while emphasising that such sensitive data should be handled carefully and should serve rather than harm the interests of minorities.