This privacy impact assessment (PIA) provides a comprehensive and updated evaluation of the privacy and other risks associated with integrating data to deliver the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), Longitudinal Business Database (LBD), and associated services under the Integrated Data Service (IDS).
Download the document below, or read the summary online.
Summary
Data integration links information from multiple sources originally collected for different purposes. In New Zealand, the Integrated Data System (IDS) is a government-approved initiative that combines data from public sector agencies into two core products: the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which holds de-identified microdata about individuals and households, and the Longitudinal Business Database (LBD), which contains business data. These datasets are linked through tax data and accessed via secure Data Labs under the Data and Statistics Act 2022.
The IDS enables cross-sector research that informs policy and addresses complex social and economic issues. This research supports the betterment of New Zealanders by helping government and non-government organisations design evidence-based policies, improve services, and respond to areas of high need. Benefits include supporting granular analysis, creating new statistics without burdening respondents, improving policy targeting, fostering collaboration across agencies, and providing longitudinal data for deeper insights. It also promotes efficiency through data reuse and builds analytical capability across government.
However, integration raises privacy considerations. Data is held long-term, and typically comes from interactions where people access services and benefits they are entitled to rather than being collected for research purposes. These collections combine multiple aspects of individuals' lives to create a comprehensive view for analysis. Stats NZ receives identifiable data from agencies to maintain and enhance the IDI and LBD, but researchers only access de-identified data. Identifiers are retained separately under strict controls for system integrity and quality assurance.
To balance risks and benefits, Stats NZ applies robust safeguards, including the Privacy Act 2020, the Five safes framework, Ngā Tikanga Paihere, and its Microdata Access Guide (internal document).
These measures ensure data is used lawfully, ethically, and responsibly to deliver public value and improve outcomes for New Zealanders.
ISBN 978-1-991307-90-3
