This is the fourth in a series of briefs describing disclosure avoidance methods used to protect 2020 Census data products and the implications of those methods for data users.

This brief describes how differential privacy works and is applied to the 2020 Census Detailed Demographic and Housing Characteristics File A (Detailed DHC-A).

The methodology used to protect the data in the Detailed DHC-A is different than the methodology used in other census data products. This brief also explains those differences and provides guidance for data users.