The statistics we know—unemployment rates, price indices, household living conditions, population health, GDP, and so on—are compiled from a large volume of individual-level information. Sometimes this information is collected directly from households and businesses. In other cases, it is produced from existing files created for other purposes: taxation, social security, customs, and so on.
In every case, the raw material consists of individual data, which must receive special protection to safeguard personal privacy or commercial confidentiality.
Statistical confidentiality
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The official statistical service (SSP) consists of the Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (Insee) and sixteen ministerial statistical offices. The SSP is deeply committed to maintaining this confidentiality at every stage of data processing. This is known as statistical confidentiality and is enshrined in a 1951 statute (Law No 51-711 of 7 June 1951 on obligations, coordination and confidentiality in statistics). This law applies only to official statistics—that is, statistics produced by a public body. The disclosure of personal data collected by private organizations is governed by other provisions, such as France's Data Protection Act and the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (which naturally also apply to official statistics).
When statisticians collect the information themselves, precautions are taken to prevent it from leaking into the wild. For example, when an interviewer records data on a computer, security keys and access cards ensure that the individual records cannot be read if the computer falls into the wrong hands, as might happen if it is stolen. In some cases (see box), even the interviewer cannot see the information they have collected!
