The Privacy Act of 1974- Social Security Violations

You go to the bank to open an account, you have to give your social security number or you are turned down.  It isn't illegal to ask for the number nor is it illegal to give the number but it is illegal to be denied service for not giving your social security number.  You go to buy auto insurance and are asked for your social security number and if you don't give it you will be denied insurance.  You go to the Dept. of Motor Vehicles to get your driver's liscence or I.D. and are asked for your social sercuity number.  You won't get your indentification if you don't fill in that spot nor will you get your license if you don't have insurance (at least in California).  Also, to get your kids enrolled in school they must have social security numbers. In fact, just about everything we do from taking out loans to buying medical insurance is denied to us if we refuse to be indentified through our social security number.

Now, let us look at outsourcing.  For the past couple of years, you call up to find out your balance on anything from telephone company records to your credit cards or you require help for your internet accounts and phone service you are apt to have heard a foreign sounding voice. Recently these foreigners have undergone training to use American diction. They got tired of the Americans being rude to them because the jobs that Americans once held, now are going to those around the world.  If that doesn't piss you off, maybe this will( and it should).  In order to get help from these American sounding foreigners you must indentify yourselves.  How is this done?  The last 4 digits of your social security number.

Outsourcing is troublesome, yes but are you comfortable with people in other countries knowing your social security information????

I sure as hell am not!  Please start writing your congress and senators, your assembly and the opinions of the people.   Get the word out and if you think outsourcing is a problem know that the real problem is a homeland security one in the worst way--our entire life's movement (from birth to death, now) is in the hands of foreign countries.

One more thing about Social Security.  Don't let this president or the next president tell you that our Social Security is a growth industry based on investments or that the S E C  should have anything to do with it.  Social Security was always a federally implemented program that by law could never be privatized(no federal program, not even the Postal Service can be privately owned.).  It is a pay as you go deal.  Todays people who pay into the social security are paying for those who are using it today.  Tomorrow's payees will be paying for tomorrow's users.  As long as our population grows and our jobs match that, we shall never run out of social security.  Our social security numbers were meant to only identify us as payees and recipients of Social Security-period!  It is illegal to use our numbers as identification purposes in any realm if we make that known.  Be angry.  Do something about it.  Don't stop no matter what road blocks are put before you.  I'm on your side.  I won't stop you.  I'll walk along side you, and write along with you, speak to you and listen to you.   Let's start here.   Let's begin now.

THE PRIVACY ACT OF 1974, 5 U.S.C. § 552a -- As Amended

The following section originally was part of the Privacy Act but was not codified; it may be found at § 552a (note).

Sec. 7(a) (1) It shall be unlawful for any Federal, State or local government agency to deny to any individual any right, benefit, or privilege provided by law because of such individual's refusal to disclose his social security account number.

(2) the provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection shall not apply with respect to--

(A) any disclosure which is required by Federal statute, or (B) any disclosure of a social security number to any Federal, State, or local agency maintaining a system of records in existence and operating before January 1, 1975, if such disclosure was required under statute or regulation adopted prior to such date to verify the identity of an individual.