4 ms·

It's federal isn't it? So it wouldn't be up to the state. I'd want to read the actual decision because on face value, this seems ridiculous. Basically every ag

It's federal isn't it? So it wouldn't be up to the state. I'd want to read the actual decision because on face value, this seems ridiculous. Basically every agency can just get around the Privacy Act saying "uh child support!". It should be up to the child support or taxation authorities to go around and find people not paying and deal with them appropriately. Unfortunately, especially with people used to modern databases, I don't think many people are used to thinking that the government's job should sometimes be a bit more difficult.

fredgrott 10y ago
Yes, it would be up to the state.. LOOK AT YOUR DL from your state, does it show your SSN? In some USA States we still can have our SSN not listed on our DL in some other states we cannot
- logfromblammo 10y ago
  In the states where the DL number is not identical to the SSN, it may still be possible to reconstruct the SSN from the DL number. The SSN may also be encoded in the 2D barcode on the back, without appearing on the face. There may be a few states that have to query a central database in order to link a DL number to a SSN. But rest assured that every state will attempt to maintain such a link, and will sell access to it for the right price. That's why you should treat every request for your driver's license number as a request for your social security number, even though it is probably not governed by the privacy protection laws as it might be if the request was for a SSN directly.
  - FT_intern 10y ago
    Do you have sources on this? I remember doing research on this and concluding that most states phased out basing driver's license numbers on SSNs
    - jandrese 10y ago
      I thought it was a provision of the RealID act that states couldn't use your SSN as your driver's license number anymore. IMHO, the idea that it's a secret number has been shot for years now. Fretting over who can find your SSN is pointless because the answer is anybody. It's ok as long as you don't give any special privileges to someone just because they know another person's SSN. It's no more special than your full name.
      - logfromblammo 10y ago
        I'm not entirely certain whether all states have decided to comply with the requirements of RealID for their drivers' licenses. Last time I checked, there were still some holdouts, but that was quite some time ago.
- smhenderson 10y ago
  Mine's not listed on my DL but I did have to give it to DOT when I received my license. Well, I didn't _have_ to; the gentleman asked me for a single proof of residence and my SSN. When I said "I don't want to give out my SSN, you can't ask for that as ID" he replied, "yes, you're correct. In that case I'll need three proof of residence documents from this list and two identification documents from this other list". I had a passport, a mortgage and a phone bill so I just caved and gave him my SSN.
criddell 10y ago
> It's federal isn't it? Of course. You're right. My point still stands though. It is a federal ID number and I don't really get the opposition to it (other than the religious objection). If the feds want to deny that it's an ID number, they should take steps to ensure that no number is linked to a single individual.
- sverige 10y ago
  > I don't really get the opposition to it (other than the religious objection). Read some history of how national ID was used and abused by Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia to find reasons other than (but also including) religion as the basis for objection.
  - criddell 10y ago
    Sure, but we are so far beyond what was available 1930's and 1940's already, what's the problem with the bar association seeing your SSN? There's no going back now and even if we could, I'm not sure we should. My big objections with SSN is that they are a quasi-secret thing. They are the key to so many things yet they really are public.

fredgrott 10y ago

Yes, it would be up to the state.. LOOK AT YOUR DL from your state, does it show your SSN? In some USA States we still can have our SSN not listed on our DL in some other states we cannot

logfromblammo 10y ago
In the states where the DL number is not identical to the SSN, it may still be possible to reconstruct the SSN from the DL number. The SSN may also be encoded in the 2D barcode on the back, without appearing on the face. There may be a few states that have to query a central database in order to link a DL number to a SSN. But rest assured that every state will attempt to maintain such a link, and will sell access to it for the right price. That's why you should treat every request for your driver's license number as a request for your social security number, even though it is probably not governed by the privacy protection laws as it might be if the request was for a SSN directly.
- FT_intern 10y ago
  Do you have sources on this? I remember doing research on this and concluding that most states phased out basing driver's license numbers on SSNs
  - jandrese 10y ago
    I thought it was a provision of the RealID act that states couldn't use your SSN as your driver's license number anymore. IMHO, the idea that it's a secret number has been shot for years now. Fretting over who can find your SSN is pointless because the answer is anybody. It's ok as long as you don't give any special privileges to someone just because they know another person's SSN. It's no more special than your full name.
    - logfromblammo 10y ago
      I'm not entirely certain whether all states have decided to comply with the requirements of RealID for their drivers' licenses. Last time I checked, there were still some holdouts, but that was quite some time ago.
smhenderson 10y ago
Mine's not listed on my DL but I did have to give it to DOT when I received my license. Well, I didn't _have_ to; the gentleman asked me for a single proof of residence and my SSN. When I said "I don't want to give out my SSN, you can't ask for that as ID" he replied, "yes, you're correct. In that case I'll need three proof of residence documents from this list and two identification documents from this other list". I had a passport, a mortgage and a phone bill so I just caved and gave him my SSN.

criddell 10y ago

> It's federal isn't it? Of course. You're right. My point still stands though. It is a federal ID number and I don't really get the opposition to it (other than the religious objection). If the feds want to deny that it's an ID number, they should take steps to ensure that no number is linked to a single individual.

sverige 10y ago
> I don't really get the opposition to it (other than the religious objection). Read some history of how national ID was used and abused by Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia to find reasons other than (but also including) religion as the basis for objection.
- criddell 10y ago
  Sure, but we are so far beyond what was available 1930's and 1940's already, what's the problem with the bar association seeing your SSN? There's no going back now and even if we could, I'm not sure we should. My big objections with SSN is that they are a quasi-secret thing. They are the key to so many things yet they really are public.