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Why the Census Bureau Chose Differential Privacy
Why the Census Bureau Chose Differential Privacy
Report Number C2020BR-03
This is the second in a series of briefs describing how disclosure avoidance methods are being applied to 2020 Census data products and implications of those methods for data users.
The purpose of this brief is to explain how and why the Census Bureau applied a new disclosure avoidance system, based on differential privacy, to protect respondents’ information in 2020 Census data products. This brief also highlights how the Census Bureau has engaged with data users while developing this new disclosure avoidance system.
Others in Series
Publication
Congressional Apportionment: 2020 Census Brief
Trends in congressional apportionment and the apportionment population—what it is, who is included, and what method is used to calculate it.
Publication
Disclosure Avoidance and the 2020 Census Redistricting Data
This brief provides key information about disclosure avoidance for the 2020 Census Redistricting Data.
Publication
Disclosure Avoidance and the 2020 Census: The TopDown Algorithm
This brief describes how differential privacy works and is applied to the 2020 Census Redistricting Data and Demographic and Housing Characteristics File.
Related Information
Page Last Revised - March 27, 2023
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