Why was the 2020 United States census significant for online data collection?

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census A U.S. Census Bureau enumerator conducting a personal interview.

The 2020 United States census was significant because it marked the first time the U.S. Census Bureau solicited responses online in addition to traditional paper forms.1

This shift toward digitization necessitated a heightened focus on network security, particularly as the bureau faced reported hacking attempts in 2018 and 2020. While these incidents raised concerns regarding the confidentiality of sensitive personal data, there were no reports that secured information was obtained during these breaches.1