Racial profiling is the checking of persons solely on the basis of their physical appearance rather than on the basis of suspicion. Skin colour or other ethnic or religious characteristics are taken as a cause for checks by the police, by immigration or customs officers or also by store detectives.

Identity checks which are carried out in the absence of (reasonable) suspicion without objective grounds on the basis of physical appearance are discriminating because illegal conduct is assumed on ethnic grounds or due to religious symbols. Thus, in particular non-white people are under general suspicion.