Differential privacy adds mathematical “noise,” or intentional errors, to the data to obscure any given individual’s identity while still providing statistically valid information. Because a panel of three federal judges will decide the matter, any appeal could go straight to the Supreme Court. At least 16 other states back Alabama's challenge, which is asking the judges for a preliminary injunction to stop the Census Bureau from implementing the statistical technique. The new method used by the Census Bureau protects privacy while providing statistically accurate data, he said. But University of Minnesota demographer Steven Ruggles said in a court filing that this would be impossible to do without access to internal, non-public Census Bureau data.

Source: ABC News May 03, 2021 13:30 UTC