Privacy fears stymie government surveyors as responses dive

By MIKE SCHNEIDER
Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Response rates to federal surveys have been dropping in recent years due to growing public concern about privacy and online scams. Low response rates cut the quality of data gathered because wealthier and more educated households are more likely to respond. The problem also affects what demographers, planners and government leaders know about the U.S. and how they allocate resources. To compensate for the public’s increasing reluctance to respond to surveys, federal statistical agencies are looking at alternatives, such as relying more on information from records collected by government agencies like the Social Security Administration and the IRS.