Groups: Census privacy tool could hurt voting rights goals

Groups: Census privacy tool could hurt voting rights goals

3 years ago
Anonymous $hYN7Hy7o7J

https://apnews.com/907d94c8e280b173dc2942feda181348

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — 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.