It distinguishes between anonymous files from random samples and established for scientific purposes, which may contain data about a person’s origins, and files that are not anonymous, which have direct consequences for the people concerned – and for which it is strictly forbidden to register any information about ethnic origins. The 1978 law allows government statisticians to ask “delicate” questions only if these questions are relevant for the survey and with the consent of the person polled.
但是今天的法国立法并不比表面上看起来的要严格。这一法律区分两种情况。第一是从抽查样本中获得的、用于科学目的的匿名材料。这些材料可能包含有关某人血统的数据。第二种是不匿名的。它们对涉及到的人员有直接的影响，也正是因此而严格禁止登记任何有关种族血缘的信息。1978年的法律允许政府统计工作者询问“微妙的”问题，条件是这些问题和调查有关而且经过被调查者同意。