Destruction of census forms and name and address information
ABS destroys Census forms after statistical processing has been completed. Paper is pulped and recycled.
The eCensus is the electronic option for returning Census forms, which allows completion of the Census via the Internet. To ensure that the information is delivered safely to the ABS, the strongest encryption technology that current browsers will support is used. eCensus data sent to the ABS via the Internet is not able to be read by anyone other than the ABS. At the end of the Census, the hard disk drives used to store information will be wiped under the supervision of the ABS to ensure there is no possibility of any Census data being accessed by any unauthorised person.
The ABS will not retain Census name and address once Census processing is completed. The only exception is if a person explicitly requests that their data is to be archived, by answering the relevant question on the Census form to have their name-identified responses retained by the National Archives of Australia for release in 99 years time (see Glossary for further detail). The ABS does not retain copies of this information.
Print Page
Print All