The usage of SSNs has changed over its lifetime as well. For instance, federal government agencies were required to use them in order to identify individuals as of Other key moments in the SSN's timeline include:.
The form covers obtaining an original card, replacing a card, and changing or correcting SSN records. A full list of requirements, such as documentation that proves age, identity, and U.
There is no cost for obtaining a card or number. In some circumstances, an individual may change their Social Security number. The number of Social Security numbers available for assignment. Social Security numbers are frequently used as a personal identifier and to obtain credit. They contain no biometrics and rely on documentation to prove validity. They are susceptible to use for identity theft and fraud.
A notable example is when the chief executive officer CEO of identity theft prevention service LifeLock used his SSN in advertisements as a testament to his company's effectiveness. His identity was later stolen multiple times. There has been some movement among legislators to separate some activities from SSN use, such as renting an apartment or obtaining a hunting or fishing license.
There's no easy way to check and see whether your Social Security number has been compromised. Many people don't find out until it's too late. But there are a few ways you can keep up-to-date with any unusual activity, including monitoring your credit reports and bank accounts, verifying your income with the Social Security Administration, and requesting tax transcripts with the IRS.
Your SSN is one of the most important pieces of personal information—if not the most important—which is why it's so important that you keep it confidential. Someone who has your SSN can use it to impersonate you, obtain credit and open bank accounts, apply for jobs, steal your tax refunds, get medical treatment, and steal your government benefits. Identity thieves are everywhere.
Contact the Social Security Administration if you suspect that your number is stolen. The agency can help fix any problems related to income. But if you have problems with your credit, you must contact your financial institution and the credit reporting agencies Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You can also file complaints with IdentityTheft. In order to get an SSN, you must fill out form Form SS-5 and provide the SSA with two documents that prove your age and identity, and citizenship or immigration status.
The SSA mails individuals Social Security Numbers and cards as soon as it receives all the necessary information and documentation. This can take as long as two to four weeks, especially when the administration is facing delays.
Social Security Administration. Accessed Sept. Phoenix New Times. State of Colorado. Social Security. Your Privacy Rights. Last year, the SSA dropped the formula it had been using to assign new numbers in favor of a randomized method. The Social Security Protection Act of prohibits government agencies at all levels from displaying the number on checks. At least 20 states have enacted laws restricting the use of SSNs.
Even private companies are starting to roll back their reliance on the SSN due to security concerns, Grant said. Jeffrey Dinowitz, the New York assemblyman who sponsored the law, said he gets complaints from his Bronx constituents who are constantly asked to give up their SSNs.
The bill was introduced a few years ago, Dinowitz said, but for some reason it failed to gain traction with other state lawmakers until now. After year of warnings from groups like the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse and the Electronic Privacy Information Center, the public may be waking up to the dangers of systemic reliance on the SSN.
The evolution of laws that required the use of SSNs for various government purposes like food stamps is well-documented, and the government does require that SSNs be collected by certain financial institutions.
In fact, the Social Security Administration is one of the most nostalgic agencies in government and maintains extensive historical records. But when asked about the proliferation of the SSN in the private sector, the historians were stumped. It seems it's pretty early on that the issue must have come up.
Similarly, the Government Accountability Office issued a report in that acknowledged that the private sector entities "routinely" obtain and use SSNs, but does not say how the practice started. The use of the number by the three credit reporting agencies, which are privately owned, would have encouraged the practice by other companies because having the number makes it easy to run a credit check on a new customer. The SSN is still awkwardly short of being as public an identifier as a name, but perhaps it should be treated as such.
For now, most consumers who try to withhold their SSN from private companies are in for an uphill battle. Some privacy rights diehards prefer to give a fake SSN or one belonging to a dead person Richard Nixon's is a favorite. This often works but is technically illegal. But given the popularity of SSNs with legitimate service providers and identity thieves alike, it's become increasingly tough to protect.
Until the problem of public perception is corrected, SSNs will continue to function as the national ID system that Americans on both sides of the political spectrum have said they do not want. Such a marketplace will ensure that no single credential or centralized database can emerge.
The projects will test solutions that rely on mobile phones, biometrics, encryption, and other cutting-edge security technology that lets consumers browse anonymously but also validate their identities when needed. If one or more of the privately-developed online identity systems commissioned by the Obama administration proves effective, it may end up creeping into daily use the same way the SSN did — that is, through common practice instead of federal mandate.
Unlike the SSN system, these systems are being designed for use as an identifier. Making any identification system secure yet usable and universal yet private is a challenge, to say the least, and must be handled delicately in order to avoid comparisons to But even if the idea of a government-funded online identity system creeps you out, the existence of such alternatives would mean the private sector could give SSNs a rest.
Subsequent legislation over the next few decades expanded the eligible Social Security pool until it included all American citizens—including children. When the U. Likely, the system that necessitates we all memorize our own nine-digit number will continue for a long time. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us!
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