Decennial Census of Population and Housing Disclosure Avoidance
The confidentiality protections we call “disclosure avoidance” have evolved over time to keep pace with emerging threats. Since the 1990 Census we’ve added “noise”—or small, random changes—to the collected data.
Learn more about why and how we’re modernizing our protections and how you can engage in the process.
Continue to check this webpage for the newest information and resources about our disclosure avoidance planning.
2020
Modern computers and today’s data-rich world have rendered the Census Bureau’s traditional confidentiality protection methods obsolete. Those legacy methods are no match for hackers aiming to piece together the identities of the people and businesses behind published data.
A powerful new disclosure avoidance system (DAS) designed to withstand modern re-identification threats will protect 2020 Census data products (other than the apportionment data; those state-level totals remain unaltered by statistical noise).
The 2020 DAS is based on a framework for assessing privacy risk known as differential privacy. It is the only solution that can respond to this threat while maximizing the availability and utility of published census data.
Learn more about the disclosure avoidance system in the resources below.
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Understanding Differential PrivacyWhy we're modernizing protections – and how differential privacy works.
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Disclosure Avoidance for the 2020 Census: An IntroductionIn this handbook, the U.S. Census Bureau’s Disclosure Avoidance System is described in the context of the 2020 Census Redistricting Data Summary File.
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2020 Disclosure Avoidance System: Frequently Asked QuestionsAnswers to questions about Disclosure Avoidance and the 2020 Census.
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Disclosure Avoidance Protections by Data ProductLearn more about why we are modernizing protections and how differential privacy works.
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2020 Census BriefsSeries of briefs describing how disclosure avoidance methods are being applied to 2020 Census data products and implications of those methods for data users.
2020 Census Data Product Development
Learn more about the development of demonstration data and performance metrics for each of the planned data products.
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Demographic and Housing Characteristics File(DHC) Population and housing statistics on a range of topics.
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Detailed Demographic and Housing Characteristics File A(Detailed DHC-A) Population counts and sex by age statistics for approximately 370 detailed racial and ethnic groups.
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Detailed Demographic and Housing Characteristics File B(Detailed DHC-B) Household type and tenure information for the same detailed race and ethnicity groups in Detailed DHC-A
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Supplemental Demographic and Housing Characteristics File(S-DHC) Complex characteristics that supplement the data about households and people available in the DHC product
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2010 Demonstration Data Products Suite – Redistricting and DHC“Production Settings” Demonstration Microdata with “Noisy Measurement” Files
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Privacy Protected Microdata Files(PPMF) Complete set of privacy protected records
Meet Dr. Sallie Ann Keller, Our New Chief Scientist
Protecting Privacy in Census Bureau Statistics
Protecting Privacy with MATH
Census Privacy Protection History
Data Product Newsletters
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New Papers, Code, and Findings for 2020 Census Data ProductsThe completion of the full slate of 2020 Census data product releases, but our efforts to help data users better understand and work with the data continue.
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Census Bureau Releases 2020 Census MicrodataThe U.S. Census Bureau released the 2020 Census Privacy-Protected Microdata File (PPMF).
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New Data: 2020 Census Detailed DHC-BThe U.S. Census Bureau today released the 2020 Census Detailed Demographic and Housing Characteristics File B (Detailed DHC-B).
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Save the Date: August 6 Webinar on the New PPMFThe Census Bureau will hold a webinar describing the new 2020 Census Privacy-Protected Microdata File (PPMF).
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U.S. Census Bureau Releases New Guidance and Resources for 2020 Census Data AnalysisThe Census Bureau has released new guidance to help data users assess whether the 2020 Census data is fit-for-use for their specific individual application.
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Solicitation of Applications for American Community Survey and Decennial Census Steering CommitteesThe Population Reference Bureau (PRB) is soliciting applications for membership on two steering committees to help plan activities for engaging data users.
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Reminder: February 28 Deadline for Detailed DHC-B Proof of Concept Comments; Minor Corrections Made to FilesThe deadline for the Detailed DHC-B Proof of Concept comments is February 28. The Proof of Concept and Tenure Examples Files updated with minor corrections.
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Released for Feedback: Detailed DHC-B Proof of Concept; Webinar TodayThe Census Bureau today released the Detailed DHC-B Proof of Concept for public review and feedback and will host a webinar.
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Coming Soon: Detailed DHC-B Proof of Concept and WebinarThe Census Bureau will release a Proof of Concept for the 2020 Census Detailed DHC-B for public review and a webinar to learn about the DHC-B release.
Webinars and Presentations
Blogs
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Research Matters BlogAnnouncing the 2030 Census Disclosure Avoidance Research ProgramThis blog highlights research objectives and the timeline for selecting, designing and implementing the 2030 Census Disclosure Avoidance System.
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Random Samplings BlogResearch Recommendations: Inputs for the 2030 Census Operational PlanBuilding on lessons learned from 2020 and prior censuses and incorporating valuable input, we have now finished the Design Selection Phase.
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Random Samplings BlogUnderstanding the Supplemental DHC FileOn Sept. 19, the Supplemental DHC File, the final 2020 Census data product, will be released. The blog concludes with a look ahead to 2030 Census data products.
2020 Census Disclosure - Related Memoranda
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PublicationMemorandum 2020.07: Formal Privacy Methods for the 2020 CensusThis memorandum releases the final version of the Formal Privacy Methods for the 2020 Census Report.
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PublicationMemorandum 2019.13: Disclosure Avoidance System Design ParametersThis memorandum documents several decisions related to the design of the 2018 E2E Census Test DAS and a Privacy-Loss Budget for the test.
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PublicationMemorandum 2019.12: Disclosure Avoidance System Design RequirementThis memorandum documents requirements received regarding how to protect the information we collect from the American public during the 2020 Census.
Related Information
Share Your Thoughts
We appreciate your engagement and encourage you to email comments and suggestions to 2020DAS@census.gov.