Protecting Your Personal Information
Federal law protects your identity and the information you give us.
"No one can get access to census data. It is rock solid secure."
-- James T. Christy, Los Angeles Regional Office Director, U.S. Census Bureau
We depend on your cooperation and trust, and promise to protect the confidentiality of your information. Title 13 of the U.S. Code protects the confidentiality of all your information and violating this law is a crime with severe penalties. In addition, other federal laws, including the Confidential Statistical Efficiency Act and the Privacy Act reinforce these protections.
* Private information is never published
It is against the law to disclose or publish any of the following information:
- Names
- Addresses including GPS coordinates
- Social Security numbers
- Telephone numbers
We Collect Information to Produce Statistics
We use your information to produce statistics. Your answers cannot be used against you by any government agency or court.
Sworn for Life to Protect Your Confidentiality
All Census Bureau employees take the oath of nondisclosure and are sworn for life to protect the confidentiality of the data.
Violating the Oath Is a Serious Crime
The penalty for unlawful disclosure is a fine of up to $250,000 or imprisonment of up to 5 years, or both.
