On Sun, Nov 27, 2011 at 11:09 AM, Binand Sethumadhavan binand@gmail.com wrote:
No, we debated this yesterday. It is illegal to deny service if a consumer refuses to provide an SSN, provided there is no federal statute that mandates the use of an SSN. The provider can ask for additional deposits to reduce his risk, that's all.
This is what US congress report says:
"Section 7 of the Privacy Act does not impose any restrictions on private sector use of the SSN. Thus, private businesses and organizations may still request an individual’s SSN in exchange for goods or services, and no general federal law regulates such transactions. Private sector use of the SSN is widespread,60 including activities such as using SSNs for data exchanges to assess credit risk, tracking patient care among multiple providers, locating bankruptcy assets, and providing background checks on new employees. Many colleges and universities, and agencies that administer standardized tests such as the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT)"
http://www.privacy.wv.gov/privacy-program/Documents/CRS_Report_re_SSN_Laws.p...
Don't lie outright, to prove your point. The company that owns the building is NOT within its right to deny apartment to you, just because you refused to provide an SSN. See:
Need for SSN is for credit checks. Unless landlord is individuals, most companies have language that is legal. Condition is to "Pass a Credit Rating Check" and that can not be done without SSN.
And this report clearly states that (with references)
"In some cases, an accommodation may be reached whereby a business agrees to use an identifier other than a person’s SSN, but there is no federal law that prohibits the private entity from requiring a person’s SSN as a condition to providing goods or services."