“Data Privacy” Concerns Could Mean Less Race and Ethnicity Data from the Census Bureau
The Census Bureau may reduce the collection or release of race and ethnicity data, citing data privacy concerns, according to analysis from Georgetown University. The move could limit the availability of demographic information drawn from one of the country's most important public datasets.
Why this matters: This is a trade-off where the cost lands on specific people. Race and ethnicity data from the Census is how researchers, journalists, lawyers, and advocates track discrimination, measure inequality, and hold institutions accountable. If that data gets thinner or disappears behind privacy shields, the groups most likely to be harmed are the ones least visible in the record to begin with. Privacy is a real value. So is the ability to see who is being left out. The question is whether 'data privacy' is being used here to protect individuals or to protect agencies from scrutiny.
Who should care: General readers · Privacy officers · Policy
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