Hundreds of US federal datasets have been deleted or altered over the past year and a half, according to an online tracker from dataindex.us. The group, formed last year by data policy experts, researchers, and developers, reports that at least 28 federal datasets have been deleted and another 338 data collections modified.
Datasets related to health appear to be the most impacted by these changes, accounting for approximately 40% of the total number of terminated or altered data collections tracked. These modifications include the removal of questions about respondents' gender identity from several Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surveys, such as the National HIV Surveillance System and the National Violent Death Reporting System.
Additionally, at least four health datasets are no longer being updated. This includes the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s (Samhsa) Drug Abuse Warning Network, which was used by doctors and public health researchers to monitor drug-related emergency room visits and identify emerging overdose trends.