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“It's None of Their Damn Business”: Privacy and Disclosure Control in the U.S. Census, 1790–2020

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  • Steven Ruggles
  • Diana L. Magnuson

Abstract

The U.S. Census has grappled with public concerns about privacy since the first enumeration in 1790. Beginning in the mid‐nineteenth century, census officials began responding to concerns about privacy with promises of confidentiality. In recent years, escalating concerns about confidentiality have threatened to reduce the usability of publicly accessible population data. This paper traces the history of privacy and disclosure control since 1790. We argue that controlling public access to census information has never been an effective response to public concerns about government intrusion. We conclude that the Census Bureau should weigh the costs of curtailing access to reliable data against realistic measures of the benefit of new approaches to disclosure control.

Suggested Citation

  • Steven Ruggles & Diana L. Magnuson, 2023. "“It's None of Their Damn Business”: Privacy and Disclosure Control in the U.S. Census, 1790–2020," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 49(3), pages 651-679, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:popdev:v:49:y:2023:i:3:p:651-679
    DOI: 10.1111/padr.12580
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Muralidhar Krishnamurty & Domingo-Ferrer Josep, 2023. "Database Reconstruction Is Not So Easy and Is Different from Reidentification," Journal of Official Statistics, Sciendo, vol. 39(3), pages 381-398, September.
    2. Steven Ruggles & Catherine Fitch & Diana Magnuson & Jonathan Schroeder, 2019. "Differential Privacy and Census Data: Implications for Social and Economic Research," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 109, pages 403-408, May.
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    4. Laura McKenna, 2018. "Disclosure Avoidance Techniques Used for the 1970 through 2010 Decennial Censuses of Population and Housing," Working Papers 18-47, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    5. J. Trent Alexander & Michael Davern & Betsey Stevenson, 2010. "Inaccurate age and sex data in the Census PUMS files: Evidence and Implications," NBER Working Papers 15703, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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