Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

Digital-Chupacabra t1_itmlfzf wrote

Reply to comment by fox-mcleod in ELI5: Can someone explain what information is visible through a social security number? by PanamsAss

I'm confused, what part isn't true? If you mean the validating identity.

I guess I could have been clearer, While the social security number is meant to id you for purposes of social security, it was never meant to be a national ID number, or act as one, something it very much has. At the time it was loudly proclaimed it would not be such a thing for vague fears of communism.

1

fox-mcleod t1_itmlmuq wrote

> Just having someones social security number, doesn't magically give you access to anything.

There’s a ton of information baked into the number itself that you can gain access to merely by getting the number itself such as birth state, month, etc.

3