Replying to the ACS with accurate information is required by law, so they don't actually need to rely on people feeling safe to get answers.
I don't trust the Census Bureau with my data, so if this is as "dangerous" as the author and some people here seem to think, they shouldn't be collecting it in the first place.
> Replying to the ACS with accurate information is required by law, so they don't actually need to rely on people feeling safe to get answers.
This works by the same principle as how nobody ever drives faster than the speed limit.