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Our entire system of credit relies on SSNs, so you'd also have to never take out a loan to avoid handing it out.
by macintux 2y ago
Our entire system of credit relies on SSNs, so you'd also have to never take out a loan to avoid handing it out.
- JohnFen 2y agoI've taken out loans using my taxpayer ID rather than SSN. That said, perhaps I should have made it clear that this isn't my field of expertise. I'm assuming the downvotes I got are because someone knows I'm wrong? I very well could be! I'm just reporting what my personal experience has been.
- TheCoelacanth 2y agoIsn't taxpayer ID effectively just a second SSN (other than being used for the actual Social Security program)? I don't see how that improves anything. It just increases your attack surface because you now have two ids that can be used to take out loans.
- digging 2y agoYou might be right, but I don't think it effectively addresses the problems. Even if I can convince every medical provider and bank and whatever else service I can't even remember that I refuse to provide my SSN, except when strictly needed, can I go back and make sure they all retroactively update their records? I hope there aren't any that slip through the cracks. Then, does that really make my SSN safe, or is it a bandaid? Even that isn't really clear to me. Finally, how does that help the millions of SSN fraud victims who aren't me and have no idea they don't have to give their SSN to get medical care? Like, I can learn self-defense against any number of dangers I might encounter - that doesn't mean I'm ok with those dangers being proliferated by our biggest and most critical institutions. So those are probably the two main reasons people are downvoting.