6 ms·

Has anyone calculated at the current rate of leaks how long would it take for every human on earth to be in some of these lists?

nicoburns 6y ago
It doesn't really work like that. Some humans are likely completely off grid and not on record anywhere.
- reaperducer 6y ago
  Some humans are likely completely off grid and not on record anywhere. Quite a few, including a good percentage of my relatives. One is particularly good at it. Aside from the wages his employer reports to the federal government, property ownership records, and an SSN, he simply doesn't exist. His get paid each week in cash. Doesn't have a bank account or credit card. Because of his lifestyle and the type of vehicle he uses, he doesn't need a driver's license, registration, or insurance. His home has solar panels, a propane generator, and a well, so no utilities. I don't know what he does about trash service, but having seen the town, I wouldn't be surprised if it's still legal to burn your garbage on your property. He's happy. Not paranoid that I can tell. He just lives a simple life where satisfaction comes from reading books and improving his mind, and not from hoarding electronic gadgets and social media thumbs to prove his worth.
  - fmntf 6y ago
    Please, do not misunderstand my question as a judgment or whatever. May I ask the (approximate, country/continent) location where your relative lives?
    - kroltan 6y ago
      A "SSN" was mentioned, so likely U.S.
xiphias2 6y ago
I treat my face, name, birthday and numbers as open data. Maybe companies should stop using these things for verification and start allowing people to use cryptography more efficiently.
- randerson 6y ago
  I can just imagine the future: Instead of reading stories of Identity Theft, we'll read about people getting locked out of their identity .. like the folks today who lose their Bitcoin keys.
  - rudyfink 6y ago
    "Of course, you can always pay a recovery company to get your identity back. But, that's expensive--more than most people have. The company will do it on credit (if they like your prospects), but then they have title to your identity until you pay them back, which, for many, is a day that never comes. The charges, service fees, garnishments, and interest on the above just add up and up."
    - r00fus 6y ago
      Where is this from?
    - airstrike 6y ago
      It makes for an effective gloomy sci-fi atmosphere, but does it really make sense? What's stopping someone from starting a better recovery company that actually gets the job done and doesn't do it on credit but for a fee? Incentives are not aligned if I have to pay interest because then the company has no reason to actually recover the identity
- nkrisc 6y ago
  That won't happen until companies are held liable for damages caused by inadequate authentication processes. If a bank gives a credit card to someone who says they're me, based on only on my SSN, I don't see why that should be my problem. It's between the bank and whomever they gave the card to. If they don't know who they actually gave it, well then it sounds like they need to improve their process. But it becomes my problem because it's my credit score that gets ruined.
Yizahi 6y ago
Any day now. I guess we will have a global info system a-la Hyperion with zero privacy. It will be suspicious to be absent from such a system instead.
Lammy 6y ago
I would guess "some time around 2012".

nicoburns 6y ago

It doesn't really work like that. Some humans are likely completely off grid and not on record anywhere.

reaperducer 6y ago
Some humans are likely completely off grid and not on record anywhere. Quite a few, including a good percentage of my relatives. One is particularly good at it. Aside from the wages his employer reports to the federal government, property ownership records, and an SSN, he simply doesn't exist. His get paid each week in cash. Doesn't have a bank account or credit card. Because of his lifestyle and the type of vehicle he uses, he doesn't need a driver's license, registration, or insurance. His home has solar panels, a propane generator, and a well, so no utilities. I don't know what he does about trash service, but having seen the town, I wouldn't be surprised if it's still legal to burn your garbage on your property. He's happy. Not paranoid that I can tell. He just lives a simple life where satisfaction comes from reading books and improving his mind, and not from hoarding electronic gadgets and social media thumbs to prove his worth.
- fmntf 6y ago
  Please, do not misunderstand my question as a judgment or whatever. May I ask the (approximate, country/continent) location where your relative lives?
  - kroltan 6y ago
    A "SSN" was mentioned, so likely U.S.

xiphias2 6y ago

I treat my face, name, birthday and numbers as open data. Maybe companies should stop using these things for verification and start allowing people to use cryptography more efficiently.

randerson 6y ago
I can just imagine the future: Instead of reading stories of Identity Theft, we'll read about people getting locked out of their identity .. like the folks today who lose their Bitcoin keys.
- rudyfink 6y ago
  "Of course, you can always pay a recovery company to get your identity back. But, that's expensive--more than most people have. The company will do it on credit (if they like your prospects), but then they have title to your identity until you pay them back, which, for many, is a day that never comes. The charges, service fees, garnishments, and interest on the above just add up and up."
  - r00fus 6y ago
    Where is this from?
  - airstrike 6y ago
    It makes for an effective gloomy sci-fi atmosphere, but does it really make sense? What's stopping someone from starting a better recovery company that actually gets the job done and doesn't do it on credit but for a fee? Incentives are not aligned if I have to pay interest because then the company has no reason to actually recover the identity
nkrisc 6y ago
That won't happen until companies are held liable for damages caused by inadequate authentication processes. If a bank gives a credit card to someone who says they're me, based on only on my SSN, I don't see why that should be my problem. It's between the bank and whomever they gave the card to. If they don't know who they actually gave it, well then it sounds like they need to improve their process. But it becomes my problem because it's my credit score that gets ruined.

Yizahi 6y ago

Any day now. I guess we will have a global info system a-la Hyperion with zero privacy. It will be suspicious to be absent from such a system instead.

Lammy 6y ago

I would guess "some time around 2012".