*New* “Banning ‘Statistical Noise’: Understanding DAO 216-26 and Its Consequences” co-sponsored by the American Statistical Association (ASA) and the Association of Public Data Users (APDU) (07/13/26)

New “Banning ‘Statistical Noise’: Understanding DAO 216-26 and Its Consequences” co-sponsored by the American Statistical Association (ASA) and the Association of Public Data Users (APDU) (07/13/26)

Posted: 7/9/2026 ()

The Census Quality Reinforcement (CQR) Task Force invites you to join an upcoming webinar, “Banning ‘Statistical Noise’: Understanding DAO 216-26 and Its Consequences,” co-sponsored by the American Statistical Association (ASA) and the Association of Public Data Users (APDU), on Monday, July 13, from 12:00–1:30 PM ET.

Last month, the Department of Commerce issued a new policy restricting the privacy protection or “disclosure avoidance” methods used by the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). The policy bars the use of “noise infusion” methods, one of the main privacy protection techniques that statistical agencies such as the Census Bureau have used for decades. This directive will make it more difficult for statistical agencies to safeguard the privacy and confidentiality of the sensitive data they hold on each and every person, household, business in the United States.* The developments raise critical questions about the implications for detailed federal statistics that are essential for policy making, advocacy, research, and decision-making.

Co-hosted by the American Statistical Association (ASA) and the Association of Public Data Users (APDU), this webinar will level set and provide a discussion of open questions surrounding the Department of Commerce’s new order on disclosure avoidance and its potential impacts.

The webinar will include:

An overview of recent developments and the current state of play
A non-technical overview of disclosure avoidance and noise infusion methods
Perspectives from several affected user groups and use cases, including demographic data, economic data, tribal data, and more
Moderated Q&A and discussion of outstanding questions
Closing reflections and opportunities to stay engaged as developments continue

WHEN: Monday, July 13, 12:00–1:30 PM ET
REGISTRATION: Register here to receive the Zoom information