Differential Privacy
Overview
Differential privacy is a new mathematical procedure devised by the Census Bureau that will be applied to the 2020 Census data before it is released to enhance data privacy protection. Our analysis indicates that data accuracy at the sub-state (region, county, city, town) level will be sacrificed as a result of this new approach to data release. This inaccuracy may lead to misallocation of funds, poor capacity for planning, substandard service provision, and a competitive disadvantage in economic and workforce development.
As a result, we are making great efforts to educate local government officials, state agencies, members of congress, the governor and other thought leaders about the potential impacts of the differential privacy procedure with the hope that our collective voice can reverse the Census Bureau's plans to implement differential privacy procedures. Read our memo to the Governor of Virginia.
Differential privacy for census data explained | National Conference of State Legislatures
Census 2020 may count everyone in the right place... | StatChat web series
Out Reach Efforts
- Meetings and Workshops
- Attended the Workshop on 2020 Census Data Products: Data Needs and Privacy Consideration, organized by the National Academy of Sciences Committee on National Statistics | Dec. 11-12, 2019
- Meeting with Kelly Thomasson, Secretary of the Commonwealth | Feb. 14, 2020
- Correspondence and Briefings
Sent correspondence to the following to brief them on the differential privacy plan and encourage them to express their concerns to the Bureau in the hope that the Bureau will reverse their plans:- Governor of Virginia | Jan. 23, 2020
- The National Governors’ Association, the nation-wide Federal-State Cooperative Program for Population Estimates network, the nation-wide State Data Center network | Jan. 23, 2020
- Over 100 staff of Virginia state agencies | Feb. 3, 2020
- Our members of congress | Feb. 4, 2020
Media Coverage
- Differential Privacy and the Upcoming Process of Redistricting | Sabato's Crystal Ball
- Qian Cai column: The citizenship question was bad. This is worse | Richmond Times-Dispatch
- Changes to census could make small towns disappear | New York Times
- Researchers warn census about accuracy concerns with method | Federal News Network
- To reduce privacy risks, the Census plans to report less accurate data | New York Times
ANALYSIS of virginia data
- Examples of Census Data Distortion in Virginia | produced by the Weldon Cooper Center
- How Differential Privacy Harms Census Data in Virginia | flyer produced by the Weldon Cooper Center