Fighting misinformation

Statistics Canada is dedicated to protecting you from misinformation and disinformation about the 2021 Census, from false or fraudulent information to scamming attempts.

Misinformation watch

Stay informed of any ongoing misinformation or scamming attempts related to the 2021 Census.

No, Statistics Canada isn't tied to a US weapons manufacturer

A disinformation website alleges that Statistics Canada has outsourced the Canadian census software and data processing equipment to a subsidiary of US weapons maker. This is false.

All 2021 Census systems were developed in-house, in collaboration with Shared Services Canada, as was the case for the previous census back in 2016.

Inaccurate information shared on social media and in traditional media about the census

Statistics Canada uses service providers to monitor social media and traditional media in order to adapt its operations and communications as it relates to its mandate, as well as to detect and correct misinformation and disinformation in the social environment.

Get the facts straight

Can hackers or other unauthorized people access my census information?

No. Statistics Canada takes every precaution to protect your information, including sophisticated security procedures, techniques, software and hardware:

  • Encryption technologies enhance the privacy of the information passing between your browser and Statistics Canada's servers so that access to data cannot be compromised.
  • Census data are processed and stored on a highly restricted internal network and cannot be accessed by anyone who has not taken the oath of secrecy.
  • Data submitted to Statistics Canada's web servers are encrypted before being stored, and they remain encrypted until they are transferred to the high-security internal network.
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