Over here we use a PKI cert for that. A smartcard providing the root of that trust is provided by the government after verifying your identity using the typical stuff used for identity documents (any biometric data on file, birth certificate, etc.). That still doesn't mean that it's impossible to steal an identity, or acquire a made up one, but it does make it a whole lot harder.

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nemomarx 3 hours ago | parent [-]

The thing about social security is that it was supposed to be used for a fairly narrow system, and the physical cards even have text like "not to be used as identification" on them. And then we used it for that anyway

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namibj 3 hours ago | parent [-]

The German equivalent to the SSN in it's ubiquity, the "federal tax id", is illegal to use for non-tax purposes.

As a German that feels about correct.

	▲	salawat an hour ago \| parent [-]
		SSN is technically the same. The Social Security Act, actually has that point explicitly called out. Did anyone listen? Nope.