The Australian Bureau of Statistics has published the independent findings of the third and final phase of the Privacy Impact Assessment for the 2026 Census and accepted all recommendations, which it says will be implemented as part of ongoing preparations.
The three-phased assessment, conducted by IIS Partners (Information Integrity Solutions), is intended to keep privacy considerations central to Census design and the use of Census data. The ABS said it has been using earlier recommendations to guide planning since February 2024 and has already begun acting on advice from the latest report.
Census General Manager, Jenny Telford, said the acceptance and implementation of the phase three recommendations marked an important milestone ahead of the next national count. “We will implement the phase three Privacy Impact Assessment recommendations in full, reinforcing our ongoing commitment to safeguarding personal information while delivering the Census,” Ms Telford said.
“The third and final phase of the PIA considered the use of administrative data to enhance Census data quality, and the provision of separate Census forms for individuals to allow them to keep their response private from the rest of their household.
“It also considered arrangements for safe and secure sharing of Census data, and the ABS’ assurance processes to manage external vendor privacy and security compliance.
“The ABS has been using earlier PIA recommendations to guide our Census planning since February 2024 and has already begun implementing the recommendations from this report.”
The ABS said the 2026 Census is being developed with a “privacy by design” approach, embedding privacy practices into new systems and processes and focusing on understanding and minimising risks for respondents. It described the Census as its largest and one of its most important statistical collections.
Further details on the Privacy Impact Assessments and the ABS responses, as well as information about planning for the 2026 Census, are available on the ABS website.
