Erik Fowle of New America Media reports:
As thousands of trained Census Bureau workers gear up to begin the 2010 census of the United States population, one thing makes their service unlike any other job.
All census takers must take an oath that they will never reveal the information they collect as they knock on doors in neighborhoods around the country.
And it is an oath that lasts for the rest of their lives. Not even the president of the United States swears a lifetime oath. The only thing that comes close are the wedding vows a couple takes to be faithful “till death do us part.”
The contract Census Bureau workers sign for their employment shows the seriousness of the job and the agency’s commitment to preserving privacy and confidentiality. It includes a sworn affidavit of full nondisclosure for life.
[…]
Violation of this oath can result in a maximum penalty of up to $250,000 or five years imprisonment, or both.
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