Social Security in Numbers: SSNs and ID Theft:Recommendations on Social Security Number Use in the Private Sector

"The President’s Identity Theft Task Force (“Task Force”) was established in May 2006 to develop a coordinated plan to prevent identity theft, help victims to recover, and prosecute the criminals who perpetrate it.1 The Task Force issued its Strategic Plan, with 31 recommendations for action, in April 2007. One of those recommendations directed Task Force agencies to study the private sector uses of consumers’ Social Security numbers (“SSNs”), develop a deeper understanding of the relationship between the SSN and identity theft, and explore approaches that would preserve the SSN’s beneficial uses while curtailing its availability and value to identity thieves.

This report answers the Task Force’s mandate. Building on extensive fact-finding conducted by staff of the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC” or “Commission”), in cooperation with other Task Force agencies, the report examines the various private sector uses of the SSN and concludes with five specific FTC recommendations. These recommendations address both the supply and demand aspects of the SSN problem by proposing actions that would make SSNs less available to identity thieves, and would make it more difficult for them to misuse those SSNs they are able to obtain."