DATA CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY AT GEOSTAT
Data confidentiality protection policy, development of its principles and rules, and use of information
only for statistical purposes are important objectives of the National Statistics Office of Georgia
(Geostat).
Geostat confidentiality policy is determined by professional independence of the institution, the
Georgian law ‘On Official Statistics’, the Geostat regulations and the Georgian Law ‘On Personal Data
Protection’. Geostat also shares the UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics and the European
Statistics Code of Practice principles, which define the essence of confidentiality.
Geostat aims, on one hand, to meet user demands and provide them with high quality data; on the
other hand, to act in compliance with the conditions and perform duties prescribed by the legal acts
and instructions on confidential data protection.
The article 4 of Georgian law ‘On Official Statistics’ stipulates that data about physical and legal
persons collected by a producer of official statistics for statistical purposes are strictily confidential
and may be used exclusively for statistical purposes.
Any information collected for statistical purposes making it possible to identify an observation unit or
such information can be obtained, is qualified as confidential statistical data.
The law ‘On Official Statistics’ (article 28) states that ‘The data collected for the purpose of producing
official statistics shall be confidential if it allows for identification of an observation unit or it is
possible to identify such data through it’.
The law ‘On Official Statistics’ regulates data confidentiality protection issue. The confidential
statistical data shall not be issued or disseminated or used for a non-statistical purpose but for the
exceptions envisaged by the Georgian legislation (Article 28). The confidential statistical data
collected and processed for the purpose of statistical survey shall not be used or disseminated either
for the personal, academic, research or any other activities, by the employees of the units of the
Geostat (article 29).
Geostat tries to find and maintain a balance between provision of high quality data to users and the
requirement of confidential data protection, so that there is minimal risk of individual data disclosure.
Geostat is obliged to strictly protect from disclosure the data collected in order to produce statistical
data, so that it can gain and maintain confidence of data providers. This is possible if to perform their
confidentiality related duties Geostat staff always have and continue developing relevant knowledge,
methodology and information technology.
When performing its duties Geostat enforces the following fundamental confidentiality principles:
 Confidential data management. Geostat has the utmost respect for respondents’ primary
data, ensures their confidentiality and exclusive use for statistical purposes.
 Exclusivity of the statistical purpose. Management and use of the collected data is carried out
only for statistical purposes (unless there is an exception stipulated in Georgian legislation).
 Prohibition of use for non-statistical purposes. The use of individual data for administrative
purposes is strictly forbidden and the Geostat takes every necessary precaution to enforce this
requirement.
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 Publicity of statistical data. In accordance with the law ‘On Official Statistics’ official statistics
provide an indispensable element in the information system of a democratic society, serving
the government , the economy and the public with data on the economic, demographic, social
and environmental situation in full compliance with the rules of confidentiality.
 Use of statistical data for scientific purposes. Geostat provides researchers with access to
deidentified datasets for scientific purposes with appropriate legal and methodological
guarantees in place.
 Individual-level information disclosure prohibition. In the process of statistical data
dissemination – taking into account the relevant provisions of the law ‘On Official Statistics’ –
the disclosure of individual-level information on the survey unit is strictly forbidden.
 Transparency of data protection. Geostat regularly provides the public with general
information on its data protection activities and practices.
 Ensuring organisational safeguards. Geostat applies regulatory, administrative, technical,
methodological and organisational measures to ensure the physical and logical protection of
individual data.
 Obligations of Geostat staff. It is important that all staff know, understand and incorporate
confidential information governance best practice into their daily roles. All employees sign a
Confidentiality reminder. In case of leaking primary data statutory measures will apply.
 Statistics sent to international organisations. Sending of tabulated personal or business
statistics to international organisations must always be based on an act, regulation, decree or
other such agreement. The tables are then protected according to the instructions and
recommendations defined in the agreement concerned.
Geostat guarantees full compliance with the above listed confidentiality principles and regularly
informs the public on the activities performed to protect confidentiality.