Australia’s Insane Decision to Collect Names in Latest Census
August 9th, 2016Via: Salinger Privacy:
Although there are certainly heightened privacy and security risks of accidental loss or malicious misuse with storing names and addresses, the deliberate privacy invasion starts with the use of that data to create a Statistical Linkage Key (SLK) for each individual, to use in linking data from other sources. Please don’t believe that SLKs offer anonymity. SLKs are easy to generate, with the same standard used across multiple datasets. That’s the whole point: so that you can link data about a particular individual. For example, Malcolm Turnbull would be known by the SLK URBAL241019541 in the type of datasets the ABS wants to match Census data against, including mental health services (yes, mental health!) and other health records, disability services records, early childhood records, community services records, as well as data about housing assistance and homelessness.
Anyone with access to these types of health and human services datasets can search for individuals by generating and searching against their SLK. All you need to know is their first and last names, gender and date of birth. Scott Morrison is ORICO130519681. Kylie Minogue is INGYL280519682. Deltra Goodrem is OOREL091119842. Now tell me that privacy will be absolutely protected if Census data is coded and linked using an SLK as well.
Never mind four years; the ABS could destroy all the actual name and address data after only four days or four seconds – but if they have already used it to generate an SLK for each individual Census record, the privacy damage has been done.
Research Credit: DF
