Learn English useful for talking about the Census, data security, and protecting personal information. Practise everyday phrases for expressing concern, explaining risks, and talking about how data is kept safe.
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This lesson is suitable for intermediate-level learners. After listening, test your knowledge with our quiz.
Learning notes:
Examples of phrases you can use when talking about Census:
- I’m a bit reluctant about doing the Census.
- It asks for some pretty personal details.
- It’s protected under strict privacy laws.
- Your data is kept confidential.
- The data is de-identified, so it can’t be linked back to you.
- The Census is used for statistics, not to identify individuals.
Examples of phrases you can use when talking about data security:
- I don't want my information to fall into the wrong hands.
- I’m reluctant to click that link because it doesn’t look safe.
- I’m always cautious when sharing sensitive data online.
- A hacker sent me a fake message pretending to be my bank.
- My phone company was hacked.
- Some customers' data was leaked.
- There was a data breach.
Colloquial expressions:
If data is leaked, it is shared or exposed without permission.
Vocabulary:
The Census is a survey that collects information about people, such as where they live, what they do, and who lives at their home. This helps government to plan services like schools, hospitals, and transport.
Data security means keeping your personal information safe.
When you feel reluctant, you’re unsure or not completely comfortable about doing something.
Sensitive data is information that could be unpleasant or dangerous or cause harm to someone if other people .
Privacy laws are rules that protect your personal information.
If something is confidential, it is kept private and not shared with other people.
Hackers are people who try to break into systems to steal data.
Data means information.
A data breach is when private information is accessed or stolen without permission.
If your data is de-identified, your personal details are removed so the information can’t be linked back to you.
Learning Notes:
When we’re talking to someone we often use little phrases to show we agree with the the other person said before we disagree even a little with them or even just offer a different opinion so that we sound friendly. Look at the phrases Claire and Allan use to do this:
Claire: That’s totally fair, but…..
Allan: Yeah, I just don't want……
Claire: I get that. But the data is …..
Although these phrases are very small, they play a very important role in helping us to sound friendly and not too opinionated!
Transcript:
(Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript)
Every few years in Australia, people are asked to complete something called the Census. The Census is a survey that collects information about people, like where they live, what they do, and who lives at their home. This helps the government plan services like schools, hospitals, and transport.
But sometimes, sharing personal information can feel a bit uncomfortable.
Hi, I’m Kate, and in this episode, we’re practising everyday English you can use when talking about the Census, data security and protecting your personal information.
Let’s join Allan and Claire. They’re sitting at home with their laptops open. Allan is looking at the Census form on his screen. He pauses for a moment, not sure if he wants to continue...
Allan: I’m a bit reluctant about doing the Census. It asks for some pretty personal details.
Claire: That’s totally fair, but it’s protected under strict privacy laws. Your data is kept confidential.
Allan: Yeah, I just don't want my information to fall into the wrong hands.
Claire: I get that. But the data is de-identified, so it can’t be linked back to you.
Like Allan, I also feel unsure when sharing personal information. What about you? Do you feel the same?
It’s totally understandable to think about whether the information you share is safe, to ask questions about data security, right?
Data security means keeping your personal information safe. It means protecting your details so other people can’t see or use them without permission.
This sounds important because it is. So, let’s practise how to talk about it. Allan first said,
I’m a bit reluctant about doing the Census.
When you feel reluctant, you’re not sure or not completely comfortable about doing something. You may want to do it, but something is making you pause or think twice.
Let’s say you’ve received an email with link to a special offer online, you could say,
- I’m reluctant to click that link because it doesn’t look safe.
Allan also thinks that the Census asks about information he is not sure he wants to share with everyone.
It asks for some pretty personal details.
Here, when Allan says ‘pretty’, he doesn’t mean beautiful. He means ‘quite’ or ‘fairly’. When you use the word ‘pretty’ like this, you’re making the meaning of what follows a bit stronger in an informal way.
So if information is pretty personal it means that it is very personal information. It can include details like your name, address, or background.
We can also call this sensitive data.
- I’m always cautious when sharing sensitive data online.
Sensitive data is information that should be kept private because it could be unpleasant or dangerous or cause harm to someone if other people know it.
Claire then said,
That’s totally fair, but it’s protected under strict privacy laws.
Claire reminds Allan that the personal information he enters in the Census is protected by privacy laws, that is, rules that stop anyone else using your personal information. These laws make sure that your data is used safely and not shared in the wrong way or to the wrong people.
You could also say,
- Your data is kept confidential.
If something is confidential, it is kept private and not shared with other people. Only people who have the right permission can access it.
So, when you complete the Census, your information is protected under privacy laws and kept confidential because there are systems and rules in place to keep your data safe.
Yeah, I just don’t want my information to fall into the wrong hands.
If something falls into the wrong hands, it is seen or used by someone who should not have it...like hackers.
Hackers are people who try to break into computer systems to steal data.
For example,
- A hacker sent me a fake message pretending to be my bank.
Or,
- My phone company was hacked, and some customers' data was leaked.
If data is leaked, it is shared without permission. We can also say,
- There was a data breach.
A data breach is when private information is seen or stolen without permission. Hackers are certainly a worry in general, but the government puts a lot of special systems around the Census survey so that your data is safe and no-one can hack it.
When you complete the Census, your information is protected by strong security systems and strict privacy laws.
So, while it’s good to be careful online, it’s also important to understand when your data is being handled safely. Besides, as Claire said,
The data is de-identified, so it can’t be linked back to you.
In Census the data we provide is de-identified. This means that the details you provide are not linked to you as a person details like your name are removed so the information can’t be linked back to you.
So, you could also say,
- The Census is used for statistics, not to identify individuals.
But why is it important to fill in the Census.?
The Census gives a clear picture of who lives in Australia and what people need. It helps the government to plan things like schools, hospitals, fill out the Census properly so that the information that the government uses to plan services is more accurate.
The Census usually happens every five years in Australia, and people should complete it on Census night. This year, that’s Tuesday 11th August. By law, everyone in Australia on Census night must be counted, including visitors, international students and even babies.
As for me, I’ll be filling it online, but you can also choose to complete a paper form if you prefer.
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Paul Nicholson and Lily O'Sullivan voiced the characters of Allan and Claire, and Professor Lynda Yates was our educational consultant.
