Question: My wife and I are currently filling out the 2025 Census Form, online. Both of us react to the details requested, some of which seem invasive and, frankly, rather bizarre. And near as we can tell, it doesn’t allow you to opt out of any of the weird questions.
Anyone else have thoughts on this? I looked to see w…
Question: My wife and I are currently filling out the 2025 Census Form, online. Both of us react to the details requested, some of which seem invasive and, frankly, rather bizarre. And near as we can tell, it doesn’t allow you to opt out of any of the weird questions.
Anyone else have thoughts on this? I looked to see whether any privacy organizations have weighed it...
(Examples of questions: very detailed questions about ethnicity, last month’s electricity bill, whether we have laptops, internet-enabled smartphones, details about my wife’s self-employment (she is an artist), how many hours she worked last week, whether we are connected to public water or sewage, own electric cars…)
As one who has often looked at census records from the past, the questions seem like the sorts of things that people were always asked, albeit updated to today's standards of living. The trouble is that in today's digital world, personal information is easily spread and misused, which should make each of us uncomfortable.
My free advice (worth what it costs): Remember that no one will check your answers. Be as honest you feel comfortable but round off, estimate and generalize rather than spending time trying to be precise.
2025 CENSUS FORM ??
Question: My wife and I are currently filling out the 2025 Census Form, online. Both of us react to the details requested, some of which seem invasive and, frankly, rather bizarre. And near as we can tell, it doesn’t allow you to opt out of any of the weird questions.
Anyone else have thoughts on this? I looked to see whether any privacy organizations have weighed it...
(Examples of questions: very detailed questions about ethnicity, last month’s electricity bill, whether we have laptops, internet-enabled smartphones, details about my wife’s self-employment (she is an artist), how many hours she worked last week, whether we are connected to public water or sewage, own electric cars…)
I found this rather remarkable article by John Whitehead, President of The Rutherford Institute
https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/the_right_to_be_let_alone_when_the_government_wants_to_know_all_your_business
Anyone who wants to see the form can see it here: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/methodology/questionnaires/2025/quest25.pdf
As one who has often looked at census records from the past, the questions seem like the sorts of things that people were always asked, albeit updated to today's standards of living. The trouble is that in today's digital world, personal information is easily spread and misused, which should make each of us uncomfortable.
My free advice (worth what it costs): Remember that no one will check your answers. Be as honest you feel comfortable but round off, estimate and generalize rather than spending time trying to be precise.
In this age of Musk and DOGE essentially data-mining the federal government, I must admit that I felt extra wary.