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Privacy, the Census and Trust

Privacy, the Census and Trust. Dr Catherine Heeney Ethox Centre, Oxford University. Theoretical Underpinnings Legal Context for NSIs Interviews – methodology/findings Barriers to trust Issues for Official Statistics. The individual and the liberal-democratic society.

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Privacy, the Census and Trust

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  1. Privacy, the Census and Trust Dr Catherine Heeney Ethox Centre, Oxford University

  2. Theoretical Underpinnings • Legal Context for NSIs • Interviews – methodology/findings • Barriers to trust • Issues for Official Statistics

  3. The individual and the liberal-democratic society • Rational beings - ‘Choosers’ (Benn 1984) • A limited freedom to be offset against the needs of government and other citizens • Share of benefits accruing to an enlightened society • The ‘contract tradition’ - to respect and support the laws and goals of the state

  4. Justifications for Official Statistics • “Statistical inquiry is predicated on the belief that greater access to well-grounded information is beneficial to society.” (ISI 1995) • “Reliable official statistics are a cornerstone of democracy and are essential to good public management and accountability.” (ONS 1998)

  5. Guidelines and Codes of Practice • OECD Guidelines (1980) • Guidelines of the International Statistical Institute (1984) • National Statistics UK – Code of Practice (2002) • 8 Principles • 12 Supporting Protocols (including confidentiality and data access) • European Statistics Codes of Practice (2005) • 15 Principles

  6. The Legal Framework • 95/46/EC Directive – on protection of ‘personal’ data • Council Regulation (EC) No 322/97 on Community Statistics • UK Human Rights Act 1998 • UK Data Protection Act 1998 • Common Law Tort (Breach of Confidence)

  7. Privacy and Large Datasets • Exemptions for statistical and research data – ‘not processed to support measures or decisions with respect to particular individuals’ (DPA S. 33) • Informed consent – broad • Purposes, confidentiality • Emphasis on confidentiality via protection of identified or identifiable information • Disclosure control, Secure I.T systems

  8. Methodology • Purposive sampling of thirty individuals, covering a range of demographic types. • Face to face interviews using structured questionnaire with open ended questions. • Conducted at the time of the 2001 UK Census. • Questions on meaning of privacy, confidentiality and statistics.

  9. Reflections on Legal/‘Contract’ Position and Official Statistics • Distinction between private and government interests in collecting data • Positive views of the Census and its uses for collective benefit • Privacy is protected by confidentiality and anonymity • Lack of personal concern about anonymiseddata

  10. ‘I have no objection to filling in the form. I think it is necessary. It is one way of finding out what is going on. The last one was ten years ago and the way the country has changed regarding the comings and goings, yeah no objection to the Census.’ (9) ‘I am not happy with being “cookied” for example, I find that an invasion of personal privacy. I am perfectly happy with the Census collection of data and for data I feel confident is used for public goods, service availability, improvement in the local area…’(6)

  11. Potential Barriers to Trust • The ‘Big Computer theory’ (Gerber 2001) • Lack of Security • The ease of transmission • Non-Statistical Uses of Statistical Data • Narrowing the Odds (Sleight 1993) • New I.T capabilities (data-mining, linking, matching) • Experiences and perceptions of direct consequences

  12. ‘It is stored and its available you know by the amount of junk mail you get through the letter box.’ (11) ‘The Census are one of the main offenders who give information, names and addresses whatever. They sell it at massive profits and this is where we get all the unsolicited mail through your door.’ (28)

  13. In conclusion –Conflicts and Contradictions • Support for the ‘public good’ view of official statistics • Separation of an ‘ideal statistical situation’ from reality • Believed that identified data was being accessed • Undermining trust – affecting participation? • Anonymisation the whole problem?

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