Census night may be long passed, but we are still very much dealing with the repercussions of the Australian Bureau of Statistic’s decision to make it mandatory to provide personal information as part of the 2016 Census.
We published an open letter calling on the Government to hold an independent inquiry into the Census, and a few weeks ago the Senate heard that call and established an inquiry.
Digital Rights Watch will, of course, make a substantive submission to this inquiry, to inform Senators of the concerns around collection, retention and protection of citizen’s personal information.
But first, we want to hear from you.
What are your concerns around the Census? Have you personally abstained from taking part in the Census due to privacy concerns? Are you worried about how the ABS will maintain and protect your personal information? What do you want heard as part of this inquiry?
You can add your thoughts in the comments below, join the conversation on Twitter or confidentially send us an email. We’ll use your thoughts and concerns as part of our submission, and ensure that the Senators on the committee hear your voice.
Submissions are due by September 21, so help us make a strong case for why digital security and privacy needs to be front and centre of the inquiry into the Census.