CONCERN: Andrew Sinclair is concerned about the data retention issues surrounding the Census.

CONCERN: Andrew Sinclair is concerned about the data retention issues surrounding the Census. Contributed

HE'S A legal eagle with a passion for civil liberties and he holds grave concerns over the privacy of citizens involved in this year's Census.

Former president of the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties, Andrew Sinclair, a Maroochydore-based lawyer, said he was yet to hear a satisfactory reason why the Australian Bureau of Statistics had to collect and keep names and addresses.

"Most of us don't want that to happen," he said.

Mr Sinclair (pictured) said he didn't necessarily see any problem with it being compulsory to take part in the Census, but the removal of anonymity was a step too far.

He said the collection of identifying information may lead people to either providing misleading or inaccurate responses or simply not taking part in the Census, preferring to take the risk of a $180 per day fine.

Mr Sinclair said the creation of such a "honey-pot" of data could also lead to governments attempting to gain access to the data under the guise of causes like national security, anti-terror, tax and social security reviews.

"It'll be overridden within six months," he said.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics maintains it has legal obligations to protect your details with heavy fines for anyone guilty of releasing details.

However on the bureau's website, it also points out that one of the main reasons for collecting names and addresses this year will be to "enhance the value of Census data, by combining it with other national datasets".

The website said names and addresses had always been collected by the Census, but this year's edition differed from others as it would retain information for longer.

Names and addresses won't be destroyed until "there is no longer any community benefit to their retention or four years after their collection, whichever is earliest".

Mr Sinclair expected a legal challenge if information was leaked.