‘It's None of Their Damn Business’: Privacy and Disclosure Control in the U.S. Census, 1790-2020

Steven Ruggles, University of Minnesota
Diana Magnuson, University of Minnesota

The U.S. Census Bureau is now planning to implement new methods for the 2020 census and other census Bureau data products that represent profound changes to established Census Bureau privacy laws and disclosure control precedents. We have argued elsewhere that the new methods have the potential to severely damage the utility of Census Bureau data products. To understand the significance of the change and the rationale underlying it, it is essential to understand the historical context. Accordingly, this paper will outline key changes in the Census Bureau’s approach to privacy and disclosure control, and will assess public responses to Census disclosure risks over the past nine decades.

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 Presented in Session 197. Dealing with Data