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America Keeps Rejecting an ID Card It Already Has

CGP Grey · explainer · Watch on YouTube

Privacy, surveillance & cybercrimeSocial issues & culturePolitics & history (other)

What it is

CGP Grey explains the history of the US Social Security card and number, and why they became a de facto national ID despite never being meant for it. He also covers why America resists a proper identity card.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN reaches for it in every identity theft and data breach thread as the clearest, most enjoyable short explainer of why SSNs make bad identifiers.

  • 14 people recommended it
  • 9 different months
  • 2 strong recommendations
  • first 2017, last 2024

What HN commenters said

  1. “this is the most enjoyable explanation for it I've seen, by CGP Grey”

    Most enjoyable explanation of how bad the SSN is

    bmelton, 2017-09 · Strong recommendation · in “The Equifax breach may be the worst leak of personal info ever”

  2. “He also explains why US citizens don't have an Identity Card as opposed to many European countries.”

    Explains how SSCards came to be and why US lacks ID cards

    sagitariusrex, 2017-09 · Strong recommendation · in “The Equifax Breach Exposes America's Identity Crisis”

  3. “A short (< 8 min) video by the ever informative CGP Grey on the inanity of US SS cards.”

    Short explainer on the flaws of US Social Security cards

    mjevans, 2017-04 · Recommendation · in “Men Without Work”

  4. “For anyone interested in more”

    History of how SSNs became a de facto national ID

    alehul, 2017-09 · Recommendation · in “Cybersecurity Incident Involving Consumer Information”

  5. “we need a national identification card, link to a video about it.”

    Makes the case for a national identification card

    SimbaOnSteroids, 2017-09 · Recommendation · in “Cybersecurity Incident Involving Consumer Information”

  6. “CGP Gray did a really good video[1] about this recently.”

    Explains SSN as least terrible way to identify Americans

    vec, 2017-09 · Recommendation · in “Stop Calling it ‘Identity Theft’”

  7. “Here's a relevant pop science video by CGP Grey[0] that explains all the various problems with SSNs.”

    Pop science explanation of SSN problems, including sequential numbering

    Qub3d, 2017-11 · Recommendation · in “Senators push to ditch social security numbers in light of Equifax hack”

  8. “Absolutely good explainer video about how this travesty took place historically”

    Good explainer on how SSN became misused as identification

    ocdtrekkie, 2019-07 · Recommendation · in “FTC Approves Roughly $5B Facebook Settlement”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: social security number, identity theft, national id, privacy, cgp grey

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