Accurate Linkages and Robust Privacy Protections for an Integrated System of Income, Consumption, and Wealth

Music City Center 

Creating an integrated system of income, consumption, and wealth data is complex, but not impossible. Building on the recommendations in the NASEM report, I will discuss best practices in data linkage and privacy enhancing technologies that inform the project, noting the challenges and opportunities of blending population-level administrative and commercial data with survey and census data. To join restricted data from multiple government sources, privacy preserving record linkage methods and private set intersections can reduce the need for agencies to yield control over their datasets. The resulting blended data must comply with access and use restrictions for all input sources. This requires careful planning and oversight of data management, planned access modes, and allowable uses. Robust metadata is essential, noting provenance of administrative and commercial data, with documentation about derived elements for responsible research on this powerful new data system. Privacy risks can be mitigated through use of methods including synthetic data, query servers, noise infusion, and enclave access for approved, vetted users. I will describe options for tiered access, ranging from open data to restricted microdata, that align with the needs, timelines, and skillsets of approved users who need reliable estimates of income, consumption, and wealth.