this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2024
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Similar to the Netherlands. We have a Citizen Service Number, which is used for government stuff (taxes, welfare, etc), employment, banking and loans and related things that require you to prove you're you.
For most other things, they write the document number of your official ID, which is not personal info, but very easily traced back to you by the police if you, say, don't pay for your hotel room.
Here in Romania we have a CNP (personal numeric code). It's assigned at birth and is explicitly a unique identifying number for each citizen. We must have a valid ID card with that number on us at all times.
Difference is though that random companies aren't allowed to use your number (unless for employment purposes). It's also just the identifier to your person, not identification. So providing this number is not enough to prove that you are you, by law at least. Additional identification such as your id are required.
True, but your saying this implies that this is NOT the case in the US?
It's not. Often the SSN alone is used for identification, which is why it's such a big deal if it leaks somewhere. And random companies can use it as well afaik, increasing the odds that it leaks online.
https://sites.psu.edu/rclaes/2020/10/15/rcl4-advertising-gone-wrong/ Here's an interesting article about a CEO of a company specialising in identity protection being so confident in his services, that he printed his actual SSN in an advertisement.
He had his identity stolen 13 times shortly afterwards.