Commentary
Census 2010: I Feel Violated
- by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, April 9, 2010
I feel violated. I don't want to complete it and send it in, but my friends tell me a census taker will come knocking on my door asking me questions. I could get fined. I'm not sure what's worse. And doesn't the government feel ridiculous that it can't even get its act together and gather the information from databases that already exist rather than spend billions of dollars?
Privacy groups don't seem worried that the U.S. government is collecting all this data on us, yet on Thursday three consumer protection organizations filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission demanding the commission investigate growing privacy threats online.
The group says "recent developments in online profiling and behavioral targeting" have contributed to "a veritable 'Wild West' of data collection."
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So my census form sits on the desk next to my computer. In fact, I'm glancing down at form as I type this post. Page one reads: "The Census must count every person living in the United States on April 1, 2010." That must mean I'm late mailing back the form.
I don't like giving away personally identifiable information. There have been many scams, I'm told, so it makes me a little nervous. I'm told not to give it away online, so why should I fill out this form and mail it into the government? Shouldn't they have this information already in my taxes, somewhere?
Google knows more about me than the questions I'm asked to answer in the form, but the Mountain View, Calif., search engine collects it from me in a noncontiguous way.
I think the questions on the U.S. Census 2010 form are worse than visiting a Web site, browsing through the merchandise, clicking a few items into the virtual shopping cart and closing the Web browser before I pay for the merchandise -- only to get a retargeting email a few days reminding me I left goods in the cart. Do I still want them, the email asks me.
I'm told that the form never asks for money, bank information, or a Social Security number. It will ask for your full name, date of birth and a phone number. It will also ask for your race, and if you put down more than yourself living in the home, it will ask you the relationship to the other person. Why on earth does the U.S. Census Bureau need to know that?
I can understand why the government might need your name, gender and age. They might need to know the ages of people living in your home to plan for adequate teachers, schools and retirement homes in the community.
I don't mind telling the government that I live in a house rather than an apartment. Or that I'm female. I don't even mind telling the government how old I am. I do mind telling the government my birth date.
Facebook doesn't even know my real date of birth. Every year when that day in my Facebook profile rolls around, I get emails from friends filled with well wishes. And every year I have to follow up with the well wishers by sending an email to tell them I don't list my real birth date in social network profiles.
Others were bothered by the questions from the Census Bureau, too. For example, my mother, and my next-door neighbor, who works as a homicide detective for the Los Angeles Sheriff's department. I have a friend in Newport Beach, Calif., who received two census forms before he filled his out and sent it in.
How is it that I don't mind being targeted online, but I do mind filling out the 2010 Census Form?
Laurie Sullivan is a writer and editor for MediaPost. You can reach Laurie at lauriesullivan@gmail.com.
You said it. This is a good read.
Laurie,
The reason the Census Bureau does not use administrative records (e.g., IRS, property tax, etc.) is that not everyone would be enumerated. Believe it or not, a small percentage of folks are not in any government database. And, the Census needs to enumerate everyone - not just homeowners or tax payers.
The Census Bureau uses the exact data of birth and name to catch duplicates. For instance, persons who have two residences. Many of these people will fill out the forms that come to both residences. The phone number is used for clarification.
All the questions in the Census have been approved by Congress so for all who feel these questions are intrusive, contact your Congressional representative. The Census Bureau does not just make up questions to ask people on a whim.
I understand you issue, but the question addresses multiple generations living in the same house and or multiple family members in the same room. We all don't have the luxury of having a room to call our own (with or without a spouse or significant other). The data is used to determine the distribution of funding in support of housing. As the population of our country ages, the question will take on more gravity. I see a day when the elderly will be forced (due to cuts) to live in a way that is completely foreign to most of us.
Laurie,
I felt the same way at first but after researching my family ancestry, I realized how important the Census form is. If you've ever done this kind of research you too would appreciate it.
In addition, it's the law, it's done every 10 years, the questions are easy and aren't any more PII information than what you provide to order something (I would be more concerned about credit card information) and simply isn't that big of a deal.
In the words of Nike, just do it!
In doing the genealogy of my family I have found Census data to be invaluable. (And they used to record a lot more "personal" info in the past.) The government isn't the only one interested in this data and I think people should just relax about it - 100 years from now you may have an ancestor who wouldn't have known you existed without it.
The collection of Census data is mandated by law - and is needed for important policy decisions. On top of that - many others outside the govt rely on accurate data to make important decisions - which include understanding the breakdown of communities by age. I don't think anyone in the govt cares about how old you are, but many, many people want to understand the changing demographics of America. At least the gov't isn't trying to sell you anything...marketing and media companies are. I wish people like yourself would stop trying to turn the Census into something big and scary... I don't know offhand when it started, but I'm guessing that the Census easily goes back to the mid 1800's and I know that it has produced an invaluable amount of information for so many purposes. Its a shame when people start acting as if its some new scary big-brother thing. Come on.
These questions are lightweight compared to those in past decades, which included how long you've been married, how many children you have and how many are still living, where you were born, and where your parents were born, whether English is your native language, your occupation, where you worked, whether you owned or rented your house, and what your net worth is.
From a public access perspective, census records are not available to the public for 70 years; this year, they are releasing microfilms of the 1940 census.
The government could find out everything it could possibly want to know about you from your cell phone calls, e-mail and internet activity. It doesn't need the census for anything other than head count statistical analysis to allocate resources.
I believe it's a basic aspect of civil responsibility to tell your government you exist, or how can you expect that they serve you? To me this is Civics 101. I don't mean to sound like I'm invalidating a point of view, but unless you are an anarchist and don't believe in government at all, this is a small ask by the government to konw who lives in the country. We need to get over ourselves and just be citizens.
Actually, lisa, the reason the Census Bureau doesn't use administrative records is that they are forbidden to, by law.
And what's more, those administrative institutions are forbidden from using the Census Bureau data that specifically identifies individuals.
This whole "controversy" brings home to me the fact that Americans can't seem to make critical comparisons any more. In a rational comparison, we bloody well should be afraid of the information that corporations (which are inherently sociopathic, and whose actions with that information are governed by very very few rules) gather on us. On the other hand, the Census Bureau (and the IRS, for that matter) have some very severe restrictions, codified in Federal law, on what they can do with personally-identifying information about me.
After reading this piece, I'm left wondering: Is this satire, or is it literal? If it's satire, it's far too deadpan, and is liable to be used as justification for the irrational census-bashing of paranoid libertarians; if it's literal, it's about as far as you can possibly get from "insightful" and still be writing in English. If you literally feel violated after filling in your census form, then you need to do some serious critical thinking. And probably find a new profession.
Tiffany - I agree with you.
BTW - The Census goes at least as far back as ancient Rome.
I have also used Census Data and other public records to research family history. It's been invaluable.
There is a massive homeless population in my urban area - without the Census the homeless would be less effectively served. It's essential to know ages and genders as well as how many people are occupying a single space. There are also a number of undocumented people in the US and these folks need to be counted too - they're not in anyone's database.
Amazon.com has a more frightening depth of personal information about me - not only my birth date but my credit card info, multiple shipping addresses, buying proclivities and Christmas shopping habits. I'd be far more concerned about Amazon (and Google for that matter - that Buzz situation was a mess) than the Census.
Lisa, then remove yourself from anything electronic including your email. Then remove yourself from receiving all medical attention, electricity, credit cards or anything for which you incur debt. Your paranoia represents more fear as in terrorist organizations than fear from them. If you are so scared that other people can find you and know about you, then maybe writing an online column is not your bailiwick.
Ooops, that's Laurie, not Lisa. Sorry Lisa.
paula, i probably confused you as i should have specified 'lisa neidert'.
I'm wondering if this post is a joke. The Federal government asked FAR more questions in the past. Just Google "1830 census form" for an example.
I don't think it is a joke. I think this post is pretty typical. It is more common to read about all the mistakes or seemingly senseless mailings by the Census Bureau. There have been are mistakes on the part of the Census Bureau but this is a big operation - over 150,000 households are part of this count. And, many of the complaints are coming from folks who have no idea about survey methodology, e.g., advance letters or that census planning has been underway for years and is not the evil scheme of this administration.
The blog post seems to me to be both ignorant and paranoid. The birth date is a semi-unique identifier, always used in previous censuses, and also helps estimate all sorts of age related things from the number of possible voters to the demand for care of Alzheimer's patients.
If you're afraind of this, why aren't you refusing to give such information to on-line registrations?
Census data has a really good record of being secure until the people concerned are 80 years older or dead.
That's not the case with your credit card or on-line data.
Seems to me you strain at a gnat and swallow a whale.
Oops. I left out some zeroes. 150,000,000 households.
Much bitching about such a little thing. Apparently you didn't get Civics 101 in school. Wow. It's in the freakin' constitution. It helps government figure out where our tax dollars are apportioned. The information is more secure than any social networking site you've ever joined. And there laws that protect that information. Unbelievably naive point of view. If you don't like America or any of the responsibilities you bear as a citizen, leave.
This must be a joke, right? In order to get people to comment? I can't agree more with the comments posted by so many of the folks who have responded.
As an American of Asian descent, I can say that I could appreciate more accurate numbers of people like me living in the US, many of whom you'll never find online or in some database. Not only will the Census determine federal funding allocation, but also the ever-important re-districting of political maps to more fairly represent each district's constituents.
It's really easy, 10 questions, 10 minutes.
OK guys - I'm not crazy about the anti-government "Tea Party" attitude in our country but I am MORE against flaming on a professional forum site whose members and contributors should be treated with more respect. There's no need for adults to call each other names and such over what should be a more thoughtful discussion.
I too wonder if this is satire. But on the chance that it isn't, I'll chime in that the last four census forms (1970, 1980, 1990 and 2000) wanted considerably more information than this one. In fact this census asks so little that I wonder if it is part of an attempt by the past administration to devalue government. It certainly will be bitterly cussed by genealogists 70 or so years from now. It reminds me of the census reports of the early 1800s when only the ages of women and children in a household were collected and nothing else. The census forms of 1900, 1910 and 1920 that I have been pouring over are much more useful than this one will be. As for lying on the census form, apparently people have long feared to do this; a relative of mine at the turn of the 20th century told his grandchildren he had been born in England but he told the census he was born in Georgia, which he was.
Just got hired to help morons like you give up your precious infromation which is part of being an American. There are no census in North Korea, where I suggest you move. But, thanks for the work.
This is obviously for publicity...well done. Although, I can't imagine why you would bring this upon yourself.
As others have said, the reason the Census is undertaken every 10 years is because the Constitution requires it. The Founding Fathers had no idea that modern statistical techniques (random sample surveys) would make it unnecessary to try to count -- by hand essentially -- every single human being living in this country. In years past, a small proportion of households would receive a "long form" which asked far more than the 10 questions asked in 2010. The long form has been replaced by the American Community Survey, which is a random sample survey. If you happen to be included in the American Community Survey (and I was a few years ago), please fill it out. Like the Census, it's your civic duty -- because everyone needs good information for good decision-making. People often take the existence of good statistics for granted, thinking they appear like magic, instead of recognizing the crucial role they play in responding to surveys, especially government surveys.
What a moron! Shame on Media Post for allowing this kind of mindless dribble. It is an insult to all of us.
Laurie Sullivan forgot to take a basic civics class in high school. Clearly, she has never used demographic data to analyze a problem, policy or make a professional recommendation. Maybe she should acquire professional experience before espousing her ignorance on media post.
Laurie, for a start, you might want to learn about how important good clean data is to all industries and sectors, especially online marketing and advertising.
Duh!
Laurie I hear and understand what you are saying about the non-organization of the census now and in previous years. The census is full of information that falls into the catogory of dont need to know, like why do they need your birth date and how old you are. Do they need to fill up space on the application or do they really think people are stupid, or maybe they are stupid. If you are looking for the age of the applicant, one of the two questions will do. My biggest peeve is the race question # 9 on my form. I refused to let the United States or anyone else refer to me as a Negro or except the option of choosing Negro to describe my race. I know a lot of people have ignored the question and filled out the form, but this to me is unexceptable. This is 2010 and I personally refuse to allow the goverment or anyone else label or classify me as a Negro. Its all on the same line, Black, African Am, Negro why dont they just go ahead and say Nigger and get it over with?
You have already been "violated" in a "non-contiguous" way by the mass media more than you will ever be by the US Census or the IRS. This is still a government designed by our founders for and by the people rather than for and by the for-profit private multinational corporations. Heed the warnings of fellow veterans, Dwight Eisenhower and General Smedley Butler, on the military-industrial complex. Recognize the mendacity in advertisements and in the so-called Patriot Act.
I cannot recommend your article, but the commentary should be required reading for all who were exposed.
Great comments! This satire (based on fact) is dedicated to the passionate marketing and advertising folks who work with online behavioral targeting and retargeting technologies.
Laurie,
I agree with you but please do more research on whether it is OK to lie on the form (alter the birth year by 10 years) or just not fill it out.
Birthdate info can be used against someone in their social life. Google should be filled with disinformation on that score. Yes, the IRS, State Dept and DMV need your real birthdate, but I see no need in spreading that info around.
In the past, people did not have such free lives as they do now. Information is power and can be used to reign in on that freedom of movement. Libertarianism is the trend.
To the marketers who want "clean data": what you want and what the consumer wants (disinformation about himself spread around) are two different things.
Is it really fair that I might put my real birthdate on some form to "win a brand new car" and then some jerk sells my data to MyLife which then resells that via shady Background Check services to some 22 year old's paranoid father who wants to know if I am really 29?
Married people don't laugh. You will be single again if you don't die first. Your age will loom large in an electronic world where the system has you pegged.
This contribution has to be a set-up for the last question - How is it that I don't mind being targeted online, but I do mind filling out the 2010 Census Form? - as it makes contextual sense given the audience here. For the love of Xenu it has to be. :-)
Ella, I also wondered about the term "Negro." I thought it very curious. But then, in the April 5, 2010, issue of Time magazine, in the "10 Questions" column, a reader asked Census director Robert Groves about this. Groves replied: "Before the 2000 census, there were a set of studies that queried how people would self-classify racially. One of the discoveries was that there was an aging cohort of African Americans who [used] 'Negro.' For that reason, in the 2000 census, that word was used. The check box had the label 'Black, African American or Negro.' There were about 50,000 people who checked that box and also wrote in 'Negro.' We inferred that they felt pretty strongly about [using that word] to describe themselves. We analyzed that group, and to our surprise, half of them were under 45. That was a finding."
So whether we like the term or resent it, that's the reasoning. There were several other good census-related questions and answers in that article. It's archived at time.com/10questions.