From: Garth Brown (Semaphore Software) <v-garthb@microsoft.com>
Date: Sun, 7 Aug 94 23:27:47 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: SSN Quandary (was: CreditCard info)
Message-ID: <9408080629.AA29511@netmail2.microsoft.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


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| From: "Pat Farrell"  <pfarrell@netcom.com>
|
| I'm sure that you are correct. I talked just this past Friday to
| David Banistar at EPIC/CPSR on this. But the law seems to
| be mostly ignored, as is the fact that SSN's are not unique.
|
| The key is, what do we do about it?

I routinely refuse to give my SSN to agencies that have no
government affiliation. I've been hassled for this stance,
and frequently refused service/credit. My phone company
demanded an exorbitant deposit because I wouldn't give
them my SSN when signing for service.

I am greatly disturbed by the amount of personal information
currently available on an individual, and accessible with
keys as simple as SSN, full name, and mother's maiden name.

I, however, have no clue what to do other than continue to
refuse to supply data whenever possible.

garthB>
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 Garth S. Brown, Semaphore Corporation    122 South Jackson Street, Suite 350
 garthb@semaphore.com                     Seattle, Washington 98104
                                          InterNIC WHOIS: GB(31)
 -Public key available via finger of garthb@semaphore.com
 -PGP2.6 Key fingerprint =  65 0E 48 A1 F7 38 DB 03  3F 77 77 9E B5 53 2E 96
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  All problems can be solved with the proper application of high explosives.