Newsletter Archive
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The World Factbook Was a Valuable Data Resource
February 05, 2026by Chris MarcumRead MoreYesterday, the CIA made the surprising decision to shut down the World Factbook after more than sixty years of operation. This move was not just a simple website update. By removing the site and setting up redirects that lead away from historical data, the agency effectively broke millions of links used in schools, news reports, and scientific research. The takedown also removed all historical archives of the World Factbook. The loss of this resource is a significant blow to the world of open data and public knowledge.
The World Factbook began in 1962 as a secret tool for intelligence officers but eventually became the most popular public reference for global information. Its value was rooted in the fact that it was a public domain resource. Unlike private encyclopedias, anyone could use Factbook data for free without asking for permission and it became a standard reference material in school libraries. When I was a kid, we had both print and CD-ROM versions available to use in school projects at Errol Consolidated Elementary School in New Hampshire. It provided an accessible way to look at statistics about every country on Earth, covering everything from geography, to health, to government structures. One of the coolest features was the public domain photographs and documents that CIA operatives contributed from their field operations.
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Introducing the Data Checkup: A Framework for Assessing the Health of Federal Datasets
February 04, 2026by Melanie Klein, Beth Jarosz, and Chris DickRead MoreThe dataindex.us team is excited to launch the Data Checkup – a comprehensive framework for assessing the health of federal data collections, highlighting key dimensions of risk and presenting a clear status of data well-being.
When we started dataindex.us, one of our earliest tools was a URL tracker: a simple way to monitor whether a webpage or data download link was up or down. In early 2025, that kind of monitoring became urgent as thousands of federal webpages and datasets went dark.
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Take Action! Census of Agriculture and More
February 02, 2026by Meghan MauryRead MoreCensus of the Week: 2027 Census of Agriculture. The Census of Agriculture is the primary source of statistics concerning the nation's agricultural industry. These data are used by Congress when developing or changing farm programs; many national and state programs are designed or allocated based on census data (e.g., soil conservation projects, funds for cooperative extension programs, and research funding); and private industry uses the data to provide more effective production and distribution systems for the agricultural community.
Comments due March 16.Every time the government makes a change to a survey or a form — or introduces a new survey or form — you have the right to weigh in on that decision. The Take Action! newsletter highlights surveys or forms the government is changing, renewing, or introducing. Click the links to tell the government what you think about the changes they are making.
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Quick Takes: The Rise of the Data Sharing Agreement
January 27, 2026by Meghan MauryRead MoreThe Privacy Act of 1974 was designed to give people at least some control over how the federal government uses and shares their personal data. Under the law, agencies must notify the public when they plan to use personal information in new ways – including when they intend to share it with another agency – and give the public an opportunity to weigh in.
At dataindex.us, we track these data-sharing notices on our Take Action page. Recently, a pattern has emerged that you might miss if you’re only looking at one notice at a time.
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Take Action! ASTP/ONC Deregulatory Actions and More
January 26, 2026by Meghan MauryRead MoreProposed Rule of the Week: Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: ASTP/ONC Deregulatory Actions To Unleash Prosperity. This proposed rule aims to "remove duplicative and unnecessary requirements of the ONC Health IT Certification Program." To achieve this goal, HHS is removing more than half of its health IT certification criteria, changing a half dozen of the remaining criteria, and maintaining the remaining 19 criteria as is. The patient demographics criteria are being revised to remove requirements to collect sexual orientation, gender identity, name to use, and pronouns. HHS is also removing criteria related to restrictions on data re-disclosure, care plans, transparency and risk-management requirements, privacy and security, and accessibility-centered design.
Comments due February 27.Every time the government makes a change to a survey or a form — or introduces a new survey or form — you have the right to weigh in on that decision. The Take Action! newsletter highlights surveys or forms the government is changing, renewing, or introducing. Click the links to tell the government what you think about the changes they are making.