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Path: utzoo!watmath!watnot!watrose!wjjordan
From: wjjordan@watrose.UUCP
Newsgroups: can.general
Subject: Re: Borrowed records from Revenue Canada
Message-ID: <8277@watrose.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 20-Nov-86 20:33:26 EST
Article-I.D.: watrose.8277
Posted: Thu Nov 20 20:33:26 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 21-Nov-86 02:48:19 EST
References: <623@water.UUCP> <7329@utzoo.UUCP>
Reply-To: wjjordan@watrose.UUCP (W. Jim Jordan)
Organization: Canada's Yuppieland, Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 34

In article <7329@utzoo.UUCP> henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) writes:
>> Have you noticed how many forms you have to fill that contain
>> the S.I.N., even though there are only 3 or 4 official use for
>> it : your employee record, your income taxe form and ...?
>> With such a Universal number, invasion of privacy by computer
>> matching is a definite possibility...
>
>It's surprising how many of those forms will be quietly accepted, with
>no hassles, if you just "forget" to fill in the SIN.  I've been doing this
>for years, and have never been challenged on it.  (Plan B, should I ever
>be challenged on this, is "I don't have it with me".)
Actually, unless it is for government purposes such as income tax or
UI, you are not obliged to provide, and the organisation is
not allowed to insist that you provide, your Social Insurance Number.
You may voluntarily give it to these other groups, and then they can use
this information (and anything else it gives them legal access to) as they
see fit.

Regarding Plan B:  The back of the SIN card says "Keep on your person."
Fortunately, it is still legal to go around without a SIN, and if you have one,
without the card.  ("Pull over!  SIN police!  Do you have your SIN card?"--hmm,
War Measures Act, anyone?)

Humourous SIN anecdote:  While in the registration line-up at HMCS Quadra
the petty officer at the desk asked the guy in front of me, "What's your SIN?"
The cadet responded, "Adultery."

-- 
It's the shampoo manufacturers that have defined the most expensive
endless loop:  "Lather, rinse, repeat."

	     W. Jim Jordan
CANADA POST: 365 Hazel St., Waterloo, Ont., N2L 3P3
USENET:      ...watmath!watrose!wjjordan