As the U.S. Census Bureau prepares for the upcoming decennial census in 2020, they are acting based on results of a test using the 2010 census data that showed it possible to identify 52 million individuals by name and location through cross-matching census data with other public, commercial databases. Census data is supposed to be protected so no individual data can be identified; it is illegal to release personally identified specific census responses.
AP News has an excellent article describing the situation, and concerns from researchers in several fields over damage to proper uses of the data that this "statistical fuzzing" of the census data may cause. See
Researchers question Census Bureau's new approach to privacy
by By JENNIFER McDERMOTT and MIKE SCHNEIDER, 9/28/19
Quoted from the article:
Confronted with that discovery, the bureau announced that it would add statistical “noise” to the 2020 data, essentially tinkering with its own numbers to preserve privacy. But that idea creates its own problems, and social scientists, redistricting experts and others worry that it will make next year’s census less accurate. They say the bureau’s response is overkill.
“This is a brand new, radically more conservative definition of privacy,” University of Minnesota demographer Steven Ruggles said.
Implications for infosec specialists charged with protecting individuals' privacy in databases come to play here. How will it impact compliance with "right to be forgotten" laws, and especially GDPR?
Craig
