The site is down right now, but I'd love to know how they determined "net worth."
No one in "real life" knows my net worth other than my parents. A few close friends know I've got some money, but they have no idea how much. How does someone determine "net worths" of families or neighborhoods?
This would rely on figures form the census and/or the tax department. These figures are available as part of government making their statistics more public. They would not have names attached, and to protect privacy they would only be available in large enough chunks that individuals can not be identified.
But how do they know my net worth? They know my income from my tax statements. That's all they know.
I got the most intrusive and obnoxious version of the census in 2010. I didn't answer any of the questions except for the number of people who live here (because that is all the US government needs to know according to the Constitution), but I don't think even that ridiculous thing asked my net worth (though I believe it did ask how many toilets I have- because, you know, the Federal government has a compelling need to know how many options I have when I need to take a dump).
I made an honest attempt to report my income, assets, NW, etc correctly on the census. I bet there's a lot of other folks out there that don't mind sharing data anonymously. The census does sampling, so over the hundreds of respondents to the long form from a given census tract or BG, they are getting decent info in the aggregate.
The "confidential" information you send to the IRS is confidential until it isn't.
I don't trust them, and in my opinion, neither should you.
60+ years after the fact, the US Census Bureau finally admitted that they used "confidential" census information to help the US government roundup American citizens of Japanese ancestry.
Confidential census information has been used for similar (and worse) atrocities in other nations- including "civilized" Republics like ours.
Don't think it can't happen again.
When the Census packet comes here, whether the short form, or the extraordinarily intrusive long form, I just give them the number of bodies living here, then paste Article !, Section 2 of the US Constitution over the rest. Article 1, Section 2, makes it clear that the Census is to COUNT BODIES for the purpose determining Congressional districts.
They don't need to know your race, net worth, religion, or toilet habits to apportion Congressional districts.