One's date of birth, in isolation, may or may not be particularly sensitive. However, in combination with other information, it can help positively ID a person,

One's date of birth, in isolation, may or may not be particularly sensitive. However, in combination with other information, it can help positively ID a person, and can then be used for shenanigans. Example: * Jacob Smith -- Not particularly identifying * Jacob Smith, born in 2004 -- Narrows it down, but that's the most common surname in the US, and the most popular 1st name for 2004 * Jacob Smith, born July 22 2004 -- Narrows it down a lot more. Even if you have a couple thousand Jacob Smiths born in 2004, it's unlikely that more than a few will share a single birthday * Jacob Smith, born July 22 2004, in Burbank, California -- Odds are you've identified a single individual at this point. A single datum in isolation doesn't tell you much. But the more data you have, the easier it is to use that data for good or evil. A further point, a date of birth can be used for validation of a SSN, making that SSN even more useful for shenanigans.