Why Steve Shannon Trusts the Census with His Data — And You Should, Too

In this day and age, we all think about data privacy a little bit more. It's a valid concern, but when it comes to the U.S. Census, you should know that the Census Bureau has and continues to invest to the fullest extent in data security.

And that's not all. The U.S. Census Bureau is very clear on these facts:

• The Census will never ask you for your Social Security number, or other identifying information.
• It will ask information such as your age, race and ethnic origin, sex, tenure, and the people in your house.
• You may be asked for your name and telephone number, but these are for operational purposes only and will never be published.
• Your privacy is protected. It’s against the law for the Census Bureau to publicly release your responses in any way that could identify you or your household. By law, your responses cannot be used against you.

The Constitution mandates the nation hold a Census every 10 years and the information is used for tons of things, including local funding for several programs. Winnebago County has missed out on an estimated $900 million over 10 years in federal funding due to an estimate of nearly 60,000 persons not counted in Winnebago County in the 2010 Census, officials say.

So much rides on you getting this done; please don't blow this off. You have a few ways to do it and it will take you less time than it took the barista to make that delicious thing you're sipping on right now. Filling out the Census can be done while you're parked in line at the drive-through, or if you're home with your kids right now, it's an easy civics lesson you can do together.

Complete the Census, be counted, and help your community in a bunch of ways you can't even imagine. Get started at my2020census.gov.