Failing to answer questions on the 9 Aug. Australian census on privacy grounds could result in fines, the Guardian reports. Privacy advocates and agencies called the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ plan to retain the addresses and names of census takers “a serious invasion of privacy,” the report states. Yet the Census and Statistics Act of 1905 makes boycotting questions a potential offense. “Australians traditionally show strong support for the census and the need to enforce penalties is rare,” the ABS said in a statement. “The ABS prefers to seek the willing cooperation of respondents. However, it is sometimes necessary to use the legislative provisions, in order to maintain the integrity of ABS statistics.”
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