Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!mks!mike
From: mike@mks.UUCP (Mike Brookbank)
Newsgroups: can.general
Subject: Re: SIN Number
Summary: More SIN to dispense
Keywords: SIN
Message-ID: <604@mks.UUCP>
Date: 15 Dec 88 15:13:36 GMT
References: <302@idacom.UUCP> <723@apss.apss.ab.ca> <694@myrias.UUCP>
Distribution: can
Organization: Mortice Kern Systems, Waterloo, Ont.
Lines: 31

In article <694@myrias.UUCP>, dbf@myrias.UUCP (David Ferrier) writes:
> In article <723@apss.apss.ab.ca> jhp@apss.ab.ca (Herbert Presley) writes:
> 
> >	There are basically two general situations where you may be required to
> >give your SIN, and these are...
>  
I just recieved a letter from Richardson Greenshields in Toronto stating
that I would have to submit my SIN number because brokers now have to
declare all Government Bonds, T -Bills, etc. through your SIN number.  I
don't know how they were supposed to report before but this seems to be
a new rule.
> 
> I don't understand what all the fuss is about giving out or
> not giving out your SIN.  What does it hurt? Who really
> cares? Evidently some do, or this exchange wouldn't have
> started in the first place. However, there is such a thing
> as playing your SIN too close to your chest.
> 

Your SIN number and the Government record that goes with it has a great
deal of information about your job, salary, banking history, investing
and other assorted goodies.  It seems also that many people have access
to this information and could put quite a substantial and potentially
damaging dosier together on somebody.  Most people wouldn't worry about
it unless they were paranoid but there is a basic right to privacy.
                  
-- 
     Mike Brookbank                          Phone: (519)884-2251
Mortice Kern Systems Inc.               UUCP: uunet!watmath!mks!mike
   35 King St. North                             BIX: join mks
Waterloo, Ontario  N2J 2W9                  CompuServe: 73260,1043