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Yup, I heard the same. SSN's are the relatively recent "compromise" made in the 40's. Initially as a way to access your, well, social security. In post depression times where people wanted security more than freedom.

ofc it was never meant to act as a national ID (and thus never tried to be secure), but more and more things are hacked in to make it act as such since there's no better option. A bit ironic given the state of social security nowadays.



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