Jason E. Miczek/AP file photo

The U.S. Plans To Stop Releasing Its Most Detailed Census Data

The Census Bureau is concerned about your privacy. Maybe a little too concerned.

The Census Bureau is concerned about privacy. Maybe a little too concerned.

As a data-focused journalist who writes about economic and demographic trends, I use census data a lot. Specifically, I rely on the individual-level microdata that is released by the bureau and turned into an easily usable format by the Minnesota Population Center. I am among tens of of thousands (pdf) of data analysts who rely on this data to study American poverty, health, and population patterns. The Census announced this week that, because of privacy concerns, this microdata will no longer be made widely available.

Microdata are data that are not yet summarized into tables, but available for download in their raw form. In the case of the census, microdata features detailed information about specific individuals, but not their names or addresses. Working with this data means that analysts don’t have to rely on the aggregate statistics the agency calculates. Instead, they can calculate anything they want by constructing their own populations from individual-level responses. Microdata are available for the decennial census going back to 1850 and for the annual American Community Survey, which has been published since 2000. For both surveys, a massive amount of demographic and economic data is collected.

I’ve often wondered when using this wealth of data whether I could uncover actual people. Take this hypothetical: Imagine that if in the 2017 American Community Survey, I found that there is a 35-year-old man who is plumber and lives in New Rochelle, New York. From the microdata, I also know he has three kids and his wife is an elementary school teacher. Could I identify him in real life? If I could, I would be able to glean private information like his income and health insurance status from a public database released by the government.

But even if I did find the plumber in New Rochelle, I couldn’t be sure that the income and health insurance information listed for him is correct, because the agency takes measures to anonymize its data. For example, the bureau introduces randomness by swapping the ages or races of otherwise demographically similar households.

The Census Bureau now thinks this might not be enough. Its new approach is called “differential privacy“—a method already used by tech companies like Apple and Facebook in their attempts to protect the personal data of users. Differential privacy works by introducing so much randomness into the data that it is mathematically impossible to accurately reconstruct confidential information. One upshot of differential privacy is that microdata cannot be offered to the public.

Steven Ruggles, director of the University of Minnesota’s Institute for Social Research and Data Innovation, find this decision baffling. In a report he prepared on the differential privacy decision (pdf), he points out that there “not a single documented case” of a data analyst revealing the responses of a person in the real world. He says the data swapping and randomization process that is currently used is already quite strong. He calls the idea that the census needs tighter privacy rules “chimerical.” Yes, he acknowledges, it is possible to see people’s personal data, but if you can’t identify who they actually are, who cares?

Ruggles isn’t the only researcher who is upset. Many academics and journalists fear that differential privacy will impede their research. Although the bureau suggests that much of the data will still be accessible in secure federally run data centers across the country, access to this information will become more expensive and time-consuming.

The decision may not be final. There were similar rumblings about privacy issues prior to the 2000 census that were eventually resolved. Ruggles is hopeful that a compromise can be reached, making the information even more secure while maintaining wide access to this incredibly rich data source.

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.