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Thank you. I have seen that website before. The comments there are general. The real danger is the evolution towards more and more subservient behavior.

Case in point (true story): A person with perfect credit applies for a mortgage in 2002. Here, perfect credit means all loans are current, all credit cards have zero balances, no bankruptcies and so on.

A credit report shows a parking ticket from 1994 against an automobile owned by the mortgage applicant. The auto was purchased by the applicant in 1996. The banker evaluating the mortgage application notes the parking ticket and approves the loan contingent on the parking ticket being paid off.

The applicant refuses to pay the parking ticket. The bank evaluating the applicant sees otherwise perfect credit in addition to a large savings balance. The bank removes the parking ticket condition and approves the loan.

Still the threat is there that any individual, business or government can enter derogatory information on anyone in a variety of databases.

I am personally not against a bank accessing all and any information that is necessary to minimize risk. However, the access should have permission of the applicant. The applicant must be aware beforehand what information is to be disclosed. In other words, access must be controlled by the person whose information is requested. Transfer of information must likewise have the permission of the person whose information is to be transferred. Each person with the exception of convicted felons should "own" their personal information.

Personal information includes:

SSN
addresses
telephone numbers
account numbers
credit card numbers
past lawsuits and judgements
vehicle driving records
medical records
past divorces
family members
business partnerships
board memberships
employer records
Personal IRS returns
tenant records
personal assets
insurance histories
annuity accounts
purchases

Others can think of more items to define personal information. Such information will always have some exposure. The key point is that such information be restricted from massive public databases.

The SSN ties all this information together. Name, SSN, DOB opens all the databases to virtually anyone. Personal IRS returns are accessible for bribe through legislators. Still the SSN is necessary. It facilitates the dissemination of personal information to anyone with a computer. Someone far away, say in Pakistan, can get a complete dossier on any American with simple point and click actions. Worse yet, a demented neighbor or rabid lawyer can profile their targets easily.

Ownership of personal information will never be obtained unless it is declared against the law for anyone to access it without permission from the "owner".

As Americans we always wait until disaster strikes before taking action. The recent new access powers given to the government will lead to personal disasters. When there are enough Americans feeling "naked", the new powers will be curtailed. The cycle will repeat itself.