New GOP Lawsuit Targets Differential Privacy and Group Quarters Imputation, Claiming Flawed 2020 Census Data

New GOP Lawsuit Targets Differential Privacy and Group Quarters Imputation, Claiming Flawed 2020 Census Data

By EditorOct 11, 20250 Comments
A federal lawsuit challenging the underlying data of the 2020 U.S. Census has been filed in a Florida federal court by two young Republican organizations. The plaintiffs in this case, with potential national implications, are the University of South Florida College Republicans and its President, Michael Fusella, individually, along with the Pinellas County Young Republicans and its President, Parisa Mousavi, individually. The addresses associated with these plaintiffs fall within Florida's 14th Congressional District (represented by a Democrat) and the 15th Congressional District (represented by a Republican). The suit names the federal officials responsible for the data collection as defendants: Howard…
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Recent Census Data Developments Call into Question its Suitability for Redistricting

Recent Census Data Developments Call into Question its Suitability for Redistricting

By EditorAug 01, 2021
In the span of just a few days and just weeks before official census redistricting data is scheduled to be released, the Census Bureau reveals two rather startling revelations about the data. "Fuzzy Blocks" First, the Acting Census Director Ron Jarmin warned in the Director's Blog that the information in individual census blocks - the smallest and most detailed unit of data - will appear "fuzzy" and at times nonsensical due to the Bureau's application of privacy measures, and thus should not be used for building redistricting maps. Blocks are often used as the basic building blocks of redistricting maps…
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Redistricting Data: What to Expect and When

Redistricting Data: What to Expect and When

By EditorJul 28, 2021
Director's Blog - BY DR. RON JARMIN, ACTING DIRECTOR: Since releasing the apportionment results in April, we’ve had several teams working hard on the next set of 2020 Census data — the redistricting data. These data play an important role in our democracy and will begin to illuminate the changes to the local and demographic makeup of our nation over the last decade. These data include the first sub-state population counts and demographic characteristics from the census, information that states typically use for redistricting — the process of redrawing electoral district boundaries based on where their populations have increased or…
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Census Bureau Moves Up Release of Demonstration Data to Coincide with August Redistricting Data Release

Census Bureau Moves Up Release of Demonstration Data to Coincide with August Redistricting Data Release

By EditorJul 23, 2021
Press Release (July 22, 2021): In response to stakeholder input about the value of earlier access to demonstration data that feature the 2020 Census Disclosure Avoidance System’s chosen production settings, the Census Bureau is moving up the release date for the demonstration data to coincide with the release (by August 16) of the legacy-formatted redistricting data. We’ll announce the specific release date in the coming weeks. The Census Bureau released metrics for the chosen production settings July 1 (see newsletter). We understand, based on your feedback, that access to the demonstration data coincident to the initial redistricting data release will…
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Federal Court Rejects Alabama’s Census Lawsuit

By EditorJun 29, 2021
An Alabama federal district court has rejected the State of Alabama's lawsuit requesting that the U.S. Census Bureau refrain from using the differential privacy method to modify individual census responses and move up the release of census data. Read the opinion here. The case in all likelihood will be appealed directly to the U.S. Supreme Court. The court writes: "On March 10, 2021, the State of Alabama, Congressman Robert Aderholt, and two Alabama voters (collectively, “Plaintiffs”) brought this suit against the U.S. Department of Commerce (“the Department”), the U.S. Bureau of the Census (“the Bureau”), and certain federal officials (collectively,…
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Census Bureau Sets Key Parameters to Protect Privacy in 2020 Census Results

Census Bureau Sets Key Parameters to Protect Privacy in 2020 Census Results

By EditorJun 09, 2021
The Census Bureau announced today the final framework for implementing its privacy algorithm (aka "disclosure avoidance or "differential privacy") on the 2020 census data. The specific settings (indicated below) determine the balance between accuracy and privacy in the data. In short, it determines how much statistical "noise" will be injected into the data. This decision comes after several notable criticisms of demonstration data that had been treated with the algorithm. Quick Info for Statistical Professionals: The latest set of demonstration data was set at an epsilon of 12.2. Today, the bureau's Data Stewardship Executive Policy Committee chose an epsilon of…
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Two Studies Find Major Issues with Soon to Be Released Census Data Due to Differential Privacy

Two Studies Find Major Issues with Soon to Be Released Census Data Due to Differential Privacy

By EditorMay 30, 2021
A team of researchers at Harvard University and a separate team at the University of Minnesota have published reports offering a troubling assessment of the U.S. Census Bureau's use of differential privacy or disclosure avoidance system (DAS) to block would-be hackers from identifying the personal information of everyone who participated in the 2020 census. In short, both conclude that the soon-to-be-released census data will not be accurate enough for redistricting. Read both studies here: Harvard Study. University of Minnesota Study. These reports and others are responses solicited by the Census Bureau in its effort to promote transparency and obtain feedback…
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U.S. Census Bureau VIDEO: Differential Privacy 101

U.S. Census Bureau VIDEO: Differential Privacy 101

By EditorMay 07, 2021
Watch this video for a basic eplanation of the differential privacy technique used to protect the privacy of individuals whose data resides in large databases. The video demonstrates how database records can be reconstructed to gain more detailed information on an individual beyond what exists in the one database. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hsh1R1WA0kU
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U.S. Census Bureau Releases Bulletin to Allay Fears and Explain its Testing Strategy for Differential Privacy

U.S. Census Bureau Releases Bulletin to Allay Fears and Explain its Testing Strategy for Differential Privacy

By EditorApr 07, 2021
This week, the U.S. Census Bureau released a bulletin that sounds a lot like it is a response to a report released by MALDEF and other civil rights groups earlier in the week. That report warns that the Bureau's application of differential privacy (DP) statistical techniques that alter census redistricting data to protect privacy, is likely to frustrate implementation of the Voting Rights Act during the redistricting process, ultimately disenfranchising minority voters. In particular, the MALDEF report claims that recent samples of 2010 census data treated with various degrees of differential privacy (DP) techniques will obfuscate the true population count…
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(Privacy) Invariants Set for 2020 Census Data Products

(Privacy) Invariants Set for 2020 Census Data Products

By EditorNov 28, 2020
The U.S. Census Bureau has determined the specific files within the redistricting data release that will not be altered for privacy purposes. Or in other words, which files will have 100% true totals. They are Total state population, total housing units by census block, and group facilities by census block. For more on the Bureau's disclosure avoidance (differential privacy) program, click here. Read the entire announcement below for additional details. Invariants Set for 2020 Census Data ProductsOn November 24th, the Census Bureau’s Data Stewardship Executive Policy Committee (DSEP) finalized the list of “invariants” for the first set of 2020 Census…
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