Data Protection and Privacy Policy

Privacy Resources

DOC Chief Privacy Officer Appointed — Press Release

The Census Bureau is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Recently, the Secretary of Commerce appointed a Chief Privacy Officer to "facilitate communication among chief information officers and attorneys, as well as policy and program managers, across the Department." The Chief Privacy Officer will be charged with developing a network of privacy advocates throughout each bureau within the Department. See also the privacy policy page of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

U.S. Census Bureau has named first-ever chief privacy officer (MS Word document)

The Census Bureau has named its first-ever Chief Privacy Officer as part of its commitment to honor respondent's privacy and protect the confidentiality of data. "The public places their trust in us to safeguard their information, and we take that responsibility seriously," said Census Bureau Director Louis Kincannon. "Our ability to meet the nation's data needs depends on it. Jerry's pioneering work in data stewardship makes him uniquely qualified to serve as the agency's first Chief Privacy Officer."

The Census Bureau also launched new content on its Web site about the agency's data stewardship program, emphasizing privacy and confidentiality protections in place at the Census Bureau. For more information on the Privacy Office, email: Dir.Privacy.Office@census.gov.

U.S. Department of Justice web page — Overview of the Privacy Act of 1974

This page provides a discussion of the Privacy Act's disclosure prohibitions, its access and amendment provisions, and its agency recordkeeping requirements.

American Statistical Association's — Web Site on Privacy, Confidentiality, and Data Security

This page includes information about general guidelines for privacy and confidentiality protection for government and international agencies, as well as guidelines that are specific to individual agencies and contractors.

For example, it provides a link to the Office of Management and Budget's "Order Providing for the Confidentiality of Statistical Information." It also provides information about statistical methods used by various agencies to prevent disclosure of individual information in tables or other statistical summaries.