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There is one very important unstated assumption in all of this: Who defines what is considered credentials? Let's forget about the Google example for a moment,

There is one very important unstated assumption in all of this: Who defines what is considered credentials? Let's forget about the Google example for a moment, as it's not really that great an analogy. When someone steals your SSN, say, what they have stolen is just your SSN. There is nothing about an SSN that makes it inherently a credential, it's just a unique number signifying you. The only thing that then makes it a de-facto credential is the decision of a bank, say. The bank decides that they will take someone telling them your SSN as proof of your identity, and that is how it becomes a credential. If the bank does not decide to accept knowledge of your SSN as proof of your identity, then there is absolutely no problem with someone stealing your SSN, because then it's not a credential. This unilateral decision on the part of the bank is what the "identity theft victim" is the victim of. The bank might just as well decide that knowing your first name proves your identity, thus supposedly making your name a credential.

yellowapple 9y ago
"Who defines what is considered credentials?" Whoever writes Wikipedia articles, for one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credential https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credential Examples of credentials include [...] identification documents, [...] passwords, user names, [...] and so on. A social security number would fall under either "username" or "password", depending on how it's used, and the SS card itself would fall under "identification documents". "it's just a unique number signifying you." A.k.a. a credential. "The bank decides that they will take someone telling them your SSN as proof of your identity" Yes, because this is already commonplace throughout the U.S., including by the U.S. government. We can debate the pros and cons of the current SSN-reliant system all we want, but that doesn't change the fact that an SSN is a credential establishing identity, and that therefore the acquisition of an SSN by an unauthorized party constitutes theft of that credential and - ergo - "identity theft". It also doesn't change the fact that the legitimate owner of that credential was a victim of that actual theft (in addition to whatever actions from the bank in response to other crimes enabled by that theft). "thus supposedly making your name a credential." Your name is a credential, per the above definition. It's a shitty credential, yes, and one which is easily forged (and by no means unique, unlike a SSN), but it's a credential nonetheless.

yellowapple 9y ago

"Who defines what is considered credentials?" Whoever writes Wikipedia articles, for one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credential https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credential Examples of credentials include [...] identification documents, [...] passwords, user names, [...] and so on. A social security number would fall under either "username" or "password", depending on how it's used, and the SS card itself would fall under "identification documents". "it's just a unique number signifying you." A.k.a. a credential. "The bank decides that they will take someone telling them your SSN as proof of your identity" Yes, because this is already commonplace throughout the U.S., including by the U.S. government. We can debate the pros and cons of the current SSN-reliant system all we want, but that doesn't change the fact that an SSN is a credential establishing identity, and that therefore the acquisition of an SSN by an unauthorized party constitutes theft of that credential and - ergo - "identity theft". It also doesn't change the fact that the legitimate owner of that credential was a victim of that actual theft (in addition to whatever actions from the bank in response to other crimes enabled by that theft). "thus supposedly making your name a credential." Your name is a credential, per the above definition. It's a shitty credential, yes, and one which is easily forged (and by no means unique, unlike a SSN), but it's a credential nonetheless.