3 ms·

tl;dr The most obvious way to generate all SSNs you can think of: brute force enumeration the numbers alone are useless.

SoftTalker 2y ago
There are only a billion numbers. Counting everyone who has already died since they were introduced, and all the "taxpayer id" numbers that are issued for people who don't have real SSNs, how long until we run out? Or are they already being re-used?
- pjot 2y ago
  There’s less actually. Each state has its own unique 3 digit prefix.
  - SoftTalker 2y ago
    I don't think that's true anymore. I was born in the same state as my wife and we have different 3-digit prefixes. But I agree that there are some rules about the different parts of the number that further constrain the theoretical one billion limit.
  - firesteelrain 2y ago
    SSA implemented randomization in 2011 to remove that artificial constraint. https://www.ssa.gov/employer/randomizationfaqs.html https://www.ssa.gov/employer/randomizationfaqs.html
- 13of40 2y ago
  I googled that recently, and it sounds like: They don't get reused. There are about 70 years left. The government is punting the problem to future people and there's no solution yet.
  - kolanos 2y ago
    They are absolutely reused. I know this because mine was previously issued to a man who died in the late 50's.
    - 13of40 2y ago
      I've heard people say that, but the SSA's FAQ says otherwise: "Q20: Are Social Security numbers reused after a person dies? A: No. We do not reassign a Social Security number (SSN) after the number holder's death." https://www.ssa.gov/history/hfaq.html https://www.ssa.gov/history/hfaq.html
    - fuzzythinker 2y ago
      It should be an error then, it isn't reused according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Security_number#Exhaustion_and_re-use https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Security_number#Exhaust...
- toomuchtodo 2y ago
  You can compare against the Social Security Death Master File of SSNs for those who are already dead. https://www.ssa.gov/dataexchange/request_dmf.html https://www.ssa.gov/dataexchange/request_dmf.html

SoftTalker 2y ago

There are only a billion numbers. Counting everyone who has already died since they were introduced, and all the "taxpayer id" numbers that are issued for people who don't have real SSNs, how long until we run out? Or are they already being re-used?

pjot 2y ago
There’s less actually. Each state has its own unique 3 digit prefix.
- SoftTalker 2y ago
  I don't think that's true anymore. I was born in the same state as my wife and we have different 3-digit prefixes. But I agree that there are some rules about the different parts of the number that further constrain the theoretical one billion limit.
- firesteelrain 2y ago
  SSA implemented randomization in 2011 to remove that artificial constraint. https://www.ssa.gov/employer/randomizationfaqs.html https://www.ssa.gov/employer/randomizationfaqs.html
13of40 2y ago
I googled that recently, and it sounds like: They don't get reused. There are about 70 years left. The government is punting the problem to future people and there's no solution yet.
- kolanos 2y ago
  They are absolutely reused. I know this because mine was previously issued to a man who died in the late 50's.
  - 13of40 2y ago
    I've heard people say that, but the SSA's FAQ says otherwise: "Q20: Are Social Security numbers reused after a person dies? A: No. We do not reassign a Social Security number (SSN) after the number holder's death." https://www.ssa.gov/history/hfaq.html https://www.ssa.gov/history/hfaq.html
  - fuzzythinker 2y ago
    It should be an error then, it isn't reused according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Security_number#Exhaustion_and_re-use https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Security_number#Exhaust...
toomuchtodo 2y ago
You can compare against the Social Security Death Master File of SSNs for those who are already dead. https://www.ssa.gov/dataexchange/request_dmf.html https://www.ssa.gov/dataexchange/request_dmf.html