Keeping your information safe

We have a range of processes that ensure information on Census forms stays confidential.

Legally we must keep Census information secure and make sure that it doesn’t show information about a person, household or business that identifies them.

Additionally, we will never release information that can identify you. This means other organisations cannot access any personal information you include on your Census form, including government departments and direct marketing companies.

We use the strongest encryption technology available to make sure information from the online Census form is secure. If you used a paper form, we provided a reply paid envelope to return the form.

Information provided in the Census is protected by the secrecy provisions of the Census and Statistics Act 1905 (the Act). This means that all of our staff are legally required to protect this information. Staff working on all stages of the Census are governed by these laws. This includes all staff who collect, process, analyse and share the data.

It’s against the law for any past or present staff member to share, in any way, information collected under the Act.

Our Privacy Policy explains how we protect your privacy.

The 2021 Census Privacy Statement explains how we collect, use and share the personal information collected in the Census. This statement is in line with our Privacy Policy.

Your information is protected by law. Under the Act, your personal information is kept strictly confidential.

We also follow the Australian Privacy Principles, which are part of the Privacy Act 1988.

The Privacy Principles set out standards we follow to protect your privacy and keep your personal information safe.