Every Week is Data Privacy Week at BLS

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

At BLS, we strive to meet our customers’ needs for information that is accurate, objective, relevant, timely, and accessible. We could not produce high-quality statistics without the generous cooperation of the people who participate in our surveys. People who respond to our surveys share lots of information about themselves, their households, or the businesses where they work. They need to feel confident BLS will keep that information private and use it responsibly. Data Privacy Week is observed around the world January 27–31, 2025, to remind everyone to respect privacy, safeguard data, and enable trust. Data privacy isn’t just a 1-week observance at BLS, however; it’s our full-time job.

Several laws govern how BLS protects your privacy. One is the Privacy Act of 1974, which recently turned 50 years old. The Privacy Act prohibits federal agencies from disclosing information about an individual without the individual’s written consent. The law also requires agencies to hold all personally identifying information in confidence. This includes names, addresses, and social security numbers.

Another key law is the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act, which we often call CIPSEA. This law requires BLS and other agencies that collect information under a pledge of confidentiality for statistical purposes to use the information for statistical purposes only. The law defines a statistical purpose as the description, estimation, or analysis of the characteristics of groups, without identifying the individuals or organizations in those groups. This means we can’t share the information with other agencies for them to use for “any administrative, regulatory, law enforcement, adjudicatory, or other purpose.” It also means we must protect the information businesses provide so other businesses can’t gain a competitive advantage.

CIPSEA also has severe penalties for violating the law. Any BLS employee or agent who knowingly and willfully discloses identifiable respondent information to someone not authorized to have it can receive up to 5 years in prison, fines up to $250,000, or both.

Beyond these laws, BLS has many safeguards to keep our IT systems secure and prevent confidential information from getting into the wrong hands. We constantly monitor our systems to identify and fix vulnerabilities, both from outside and inside BLS. Our staff undergoes thorough background checks, frequent training, and regular reminders about policies and procedures to safeguard the information entrusted to us.

At BLS, we believe people, businesses, and government leaders make better choices when they have crucial information that is accurate, objective, relevant, timely, and accessible. We can’t provide the public with good information without the help of the individuals and businesses that respond to our surveys. We are grateful for their cooperation and take our pledge to safeguard their information seriously.

Want to know more? Check out our video, “Confidentiality Is a Serious Matter at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.”