Freedom of Memory Today

Abstract

Abstract Emerging technologies raise the possibility that we may be able to treat trauma victims by pharmaceutically dampening factual\ror emotional aspects of their memories. Such technologies raise a panoply of legal and ethical issues. While many of these\rissues remain off in the distance, some have already arisen. In this brief commentary, I discuss a real-life case of memory\rerasure. The case reveals why the contours of our freedom of memory—our limited bundle of rights to control our memories and\rbe free of outside control—already merit some attention.