The Census Bureau Protects Your Data.
Data Protection and Privacy Program
Being responsible stewards of your data is not only required by law, it is embedded in Census Bureau culture. Strict policies and statistical safeguards help protect the confidentiality of your information. Before releasing data products, the Census Bureau verifies that they meet its confidentiality standards.
Download Fact Sheet: The 2020 Census and Confidentiality (PDF)
Protecting Confidentiality
Special tabulations must be approved by the Census Bureau’s Disclosure Review Board (DRB). The DRB is a panel of Census Bureau staff chartered to protect the confidentiality of data from individuals (or business establishments). Their role is to review each special tabulation specification and to issue specific rules in addition to standard confidentiality protection measures.
Visit the Census Bureau website to read more about the Data Protection and Privacy Program or read how the Census Bureau Continues to Boost Data Safeguards.
Secure Technology
From the beginning of the data collection process, the Census Bureau follows industry best practices and federal requirements to protect your data. The security of their systems is a top priority for the Census Bureau and they continually refine their approach to address emerging threats. To keep your data safe and secure the Census Bureau:
- uses data encryption and two forms of authentication to secure system access.
- uses IT systems designed to defend against and contain cyberthreats.
- works to to identify, prevent, detect, respond to and recover from possible cyber-threats.
Cutting-Edge Safeguards to Protect Your Identity
The Census Bureau does not identify individuals in the data they publish. They only publish statistics. Census Bureau policies and statistical safeguards help us ensure the confidentiality of your information. Our Disclosure Review Board verifies that any data product we release meets our confidentiality standards.
Video: Is My 2020 Census Data Safe?
This PSA teaches viewers about how census data is private, protected by law, and stored securely.