Groups: Census privacy tool could hurt voting rights goals

AP ^ | 04 05 2021 | MIKE SCHNEIDER

[yesthatjallen]

A new method being used for the first time by the U.S. Census Bureau to protect people’s privacy in 2020 census data could hamper voting rights enforcement and make it harder for congressional and legislative districts to have equal populations, according to a report from two leading civil rights groups.

In test data, the method known as “differential privacy” made smaller counties appear to have more people than they actually did at the expense of more populous counties. It also made counties appear more homogenous than they really are where clear majorities of people have a specific race or ethnic background, according to an analysis conducted by the civil rights groups.

The findings reinforce concerns that differential privacy will lower the quality of the data used for redrawing congressional and legislative districts. They also suggest that the census figures won’t support efforts to protect the power of minority voters and comply with court rulings requiring districts to have equal population numbers.

“Our preliminary findings reveal serious concerns about the impact of differential privacy as currently envisioned by the Bureau on our communities’ ability to attain our fair share of political power,” said the report by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, also known as MALDEF, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice’ AAJC.

The report is the latest warning about the Census Bureau’s introduction of deliberate errors to protect privacy(?) into the 2020 census data that will be used for redistricting later this year.

SNIP

[Petrosius]

Remove all data concerning race, sex, income, etc. Just count heads.

[Spirit of Liberty]

Sounds like the same people who counted the vote are also counting the census.