Slashdot Mirror
Pendulum Swinging Toward Privacy
netbuzz writes "The New York Times reports this morning on a gathering movement to remove Social Security numbers from online public records. While justifiable, given the reality of and concerns about identity theft, it also doesn't take much to imagine how such concerns will be abused by public officials who are strapped for cash and/or ethically challenged."
The SSN is for my social security benefits, not my dammed identification. If they want to make a national identification number (after debating the pros and cons of such) later than that is fine. But to use the SSN for purposes that it was not intended for is foolish at best and dangerous at worse. One day I actually may have to claim those benefits (sad, as that may be), and don't want it tied into or tied up by any company's Bull****.
Regards,
MBC1977,
The problem has never been that SSNs were widely known. Giving everybody a unique piece of information that can distinguish this John Smith from that John Smith is a very practical method.
The problem is that knowing your SSN is considered proof of identity.
This is equivalent to:
"Hi, I'm John Smith"
"Prove it"
"J-o-h-n S-m-i-t-h"
"Well, that's good enough for me...here's your new credit card".
I think the cleanest solution would be a statement from the government like this:
"Social Security Numbers are no longer to be used as a form of authentication. They are for identification purposes only. To ensure this state of affairs in the future, we will on January 1, 2009 publish all SSNs with the full names of the people to which they are assigned. After this date, any person or company found relying on SSNs as proof of identity will be solely and completely responsible for all damages from fraud and 'identity theft' occuring as a result of such idiocy. We are not mandating a specific method of proper authentication, nor are we establishing a national clearinghouse for such. All we are doing is telling you to get off your asses, incorporation some real security, and stop running your businesses like complete fucking retards"
There's no money stored anywhere. Social Security is a "pay as you go" system, and any excess funds are replaced with Treasury Bonds (IOUs from the taxpayers to fund Social Security in the future). At some point, the tax needs of repaying those bonds, as well as covering new retirees will exceed the ability of the workforce to pay - unless a significant change in the system is enacted.
I was taking a part time college class at a Junior College several years ago. The students social security number was printed on the class schedule that each student carried around with them on the first day of class. On the first day, there were misplaced class schedules laying on the ground and on desks all around the campus. Nobody seemed too concerned. I don't know if the local junior college still does that or not.
Back in the 1970's, I got an Arizona drivers license shortly after moving to Arizona. Back then, by default, they would use the social security number as the drivers license number unless the applicant specifically asked them not to. My social security number was on my drivers license for over 30 years. ATM machines did not yet exist in grocery stores or small shops, so checks were typically used to pay. When cashing a check they would typically ask for a drivers license and write the drivers license number on the check. Over a few decades, that would be thousands of checks, per person, with the social security number on them. A few years ago, I went over to the department of motor vehicles and had them change my drivers license number to something other than the social security number.
For many years, the envelope for my monthly medical insurance bill always asked me to write my account number under the return address on the outside of the envelope. My account number was my social security number and I always hated having to write that on the outside of the envelope. They finally stopped using my social security number as my account number a few years ago and also stopped asking me to write it under the return address on the outside of the envelope.
A few decades ago most people also kept their social security card in their wallet. Some people still do, even though wallets are frequently lost or stolen.
For many years, identity theft was very rare and there was very little effort to keep social security numbers secret. So after decades of not keeping them secret everyone is now being told that they need to keep them secret. Who's idea was it to start using something that had never been very secret for identification purposes? Knowing a social security number or a mother's maiden name should never have been considered to be proof that someone is who they say they are.
Fortunately, I have never been the victim of identity theft other than one minor instance of having one fraudulent charge on a charge card a few years ago.