Testing Chat IV: A New Hope

[Flagg]

Yeah, that's the main thing, I don't want to lose my wallet and wake up a month later to find someone has racked up 500k in credit card debt in my name, which is exactly what would happen the way the US system works if a SSN based national ID were issued.

Who doesnt carry their SS Card in their wallet now?

[Bounty]

I would like it if the National ID and the Social Security card here were fused here. Problem being that such a thing has been attempted in the past, and, well... People have expressed a certain discomfort at the idea.

I'm not sure about that here. Mainly because it would just make identity theft even easier than it already is. Lost your wallet, better keep on top of your credit score, etc. Don't know if your SSN in France is as 'vital' as it is here, though.

I don't know of European countries that use social security info for anything but social security. The European ID has a unique code to identify you in your countries' records.

The problem with combining your social security info with your ID is one of privacy, not one of security. I can see the benefits of only needing one card - lord knows I frequently forget to bring my SIS card when I pick up medication - but I can understand why some people might be twitchy about the concept.

[evilsoup]

lol when I picked up my brothers' prescription they just took it on trust that I was who I said I was
there probably are restrictions on the stuff that drug addicts would seek, though

[Oxymoron]

Yeah, that's the main thing, I don't want to lose my wallet and wake up a month later to find someone has racked up 500k in credit card debt in my name, which is exactly what would happen the way the US system works if a SSN based national ID were issued.

Make it a biometric ID.

[The Spartan]

Yeah, that's the main thing, I don't want to lose my wallet and wake up a month later to find someone has racked up 500k in credit card debt in my name, which is exactly what would happen the way the US system works if a SSN based national ID were issued.

Who doesnt carry their SS Card in their wallet now?

Are you being sarcastic? I can't quite tell.

I've never known anyone who carries their SS Card around. I don't.

[Oxymoron]

I always carry all my cards in my wallet. Having everything combined in a single, secured card would make it easier to void everything in case I were to lose it, which would be added peace of mind in that kind of situation.

[Flagg]

Yeah, that's the main thing, I don't want to lose my wallet and wake up a month later to find someone has racked up 500k in credit card debt in my name, which is exactly what would happen the way the US system works if a SSN based national ID were issued.

Who doesnt carry their SS Card in their wallet now?

Are you being sarcastic? I can't quite tell.

I've never known anyone who carries their SS Card around. I don't.

I do and always have. It's a form of ID.

[The Spartan]

I know that, but I've never known anyone who carried it, just their driver's license.

The only time I've needed it is for a new job or when I renew my license. The rest of the time I keep it in my safe.

[Big Orangutan]

http://bbs.stardestroyer.net/viewtopic. ... 4#p3785344

Boy, does the hypocrisy and bordering on paranoid Anglo-Americanphobia shine through from the usual suspects.

[Infinity Biscuit]

It really bothers you when people don't like Britain, doesn't it?

[Djinnkitty83]

Yeah, I don't get the identity-theft arguments. As long at the card has security measures built in such as the ability to call up, give, say, some sort of PIN, and have the card suspended-pending-replacement in the event of losing it, you can not only make it more secure than the standard SSN, but also give additional means of tracking down fraud.

[>:3]

ameriphobi (japanese slang for hatred of freedom )

[Djinnkitty83]

And sadly the whole spying thing reminds of the Stasis Leak episode of Red Dwarf:


http://youtube.com/watch?v=GKO8kW-x7QQ

[magic princess]

Yeah, that's the main thing, I don't want to lose my wallet and wake up a month later to find someone has racked up 500k in credit card debt in my name, which is exactly what would happen the way the US system works if a SSN based national ID were issued.

Who doesnt carry their SS Card in their wallet now?

The fuck? It never leaves my safe. I've got a driver's license, passport (only leaves safe when travelling abroad or going to some government office where multiple IDs are needed), and state government employee ID. None of which have my SSN.

[magic princess]

Yeah, I don't get the identity-theft arguments. As long at the card has security measures built in such as the ability to call up, give, say, some sort of PIN, and have the card suspended-pending-replacement in the event of losing it, you can not only make it more secure than the standard SSN, but also give additional means of tracking down fraud.

I said if the current system is in place. You know, the one where memorizing your SSN is in enough to create a bank account/get a credit card and screw you over?

[Infinity Biscuit]

Is there any chance of that sort of thing being changed? Of SSNs being used, well, for social security purposes, and not simultaneously "please put this on every official application you ever fill out in your adult life" and "anyone who knows your number can ruin your life for their own gain"?

[joviwan]

Yeah, in good ol' murica, simply having your SSN memorized is enough for 90% of situations where it's been called for.

That said, I do carry my SS card in my wallet for the other 10%. The likelyhood of my wallet being stolen is extremely low, and the number of ways for literally anyone to just go look up my SSN is ridiculous enough that the threat of identity theft is not "who has my SSN" (answer: everyone already does) but "Who has my credit card number." (Answer: also everyone, but there are infinitely more ways for the rabble to exploit it)

[uraniun235]

Yeah, that's the main thing, I don't want to lose my wallet and wake up a month later to find someone has racked up 500k in credit card debt in my name, which is exactly what would happen the way the US system works if a SSN based national ID were issued.

Who doesnt carry their SS Card in their wallet now?

It's me, I don't. I never need it in every day life, and I have my SSN memorized.

Is there any chance of that sort of thing being changed? Of SSNs being used, well, for social security purposes, and not simultaneously "please put this on every official application you ever fill out in your adult life" and "anyone who knows your number can ruin your life for their own gain"?

I dunno. You institute a new federal ID system, and you manage to convince everyone to just ask for your federal ID number. Isn't that new number also going to have the attributes "please put this on every official application you ever fill out in your adult life" and "anyone who knows your number can ruin your life for their own gain"?

[Oxymoron]

Don't those document need to be signed ?

In case of litigation, you can start by checking if the signature match.

[Djinnkitty83]

I dunno. You institute a new federal ID system, and you manage to convince everyone to just ask for your federal ID number. Isn't that new number also going to have the attributes "please put this on every official application you ever fill out in your adult life" and "anyone who knows your number can ruin your life for their own gain"?

This is why I'd advocate just having scannable cards and a PIN, much like how credit/bank cards already work. That way just knowing the number isn't enough, you have to have the physical card. And if it's lost/stolen, or if suspicious transactions/uses start popping up, you have a backup code you can give to have it deactivated and eventually replaced, as well as an easy means to start tracking someone attempting to use it for fraudulent purposes.

Again, this is my idealist scenario, any bearing it has on the reality of overcoming US cultural fears of national ID, and governmental incompetence in actually running such a system, may be slim.

[uraniun235]

I dunno. You institute a new federal ID system, and you manage to convince everyone to just ask for your federal ID number. Isn't that new number also going to have the attributes "please put this on every official application you ever fill out in your adult life" and "anyone who knows your number can ruin your life for their own gain"?

This is why I'd advocate just having scannable cards and a PIN, much like how credit/bank cards already work. That way just knowing the number isn't enough, you have to have the physical card. And if it's lost/stolen, or if suspicious transactions/uses start popping up, you have a backup code you can give to have it deactivated and eventually replaced, as well as an easy means to start tracking someone attempting to use it for fraudulent purposes.

Again, this is my idealist scenario, any bearing it has on the reality of overcoming US cultural fears of national ID, and governmental incompetence in actually running such a system, may be slim.

If we're talking pure ideals, why not a thumbprint scanner connected to a PIN pad?

[Bakustra]

http://bbs.stardestroyer.net/viewtopic. ... 4#p3785344

Boy, does the hypocrisy and bordering on paranoid Anglo-Americanphobia shine through from the usual suspects.

don't sign your posts

also, are you margaret wende's duller brother?

[Djinnkitty83]

If we're talking pure ideals, why not a thumbprint scanner connected to a PIN pad?

Well in that case, I'd say have a subdermal chip installed upon birth (or gaining citizenship, or resident alien status), with the option of a card for backup and for those opposed to surgery.

[adr]

bzzt you have been fined two credits for a violation of the verbal morality code

[evilsoup]

India recently introduced ID cards with biometric data, including thumbprint (because India has a large population of illiterate people, to whom saying 'memorise this 14-digit number' has the actual effect of 'haha, no you can't have access to government services')
it took a few months for someone to come up with a way to take thumbprints quickly, and now it's possible to steal someone's identity irreversibly