

The purpose of the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) is stated as follows: The purpose of this Act is to govern the collection, use and disclosure of personal information by organizations in a manner that recognizes both the right of an individual to have his or her personal information protected and the need of organizations to collect, use or disclose personal information for purposes that are reasonable. The purposes of the Personal Information Protection Act in Alberta and in British Columbia are stated in those laws as follows: This is because, to a large extent, confirmation of identity effectively addresses problems with unauthorized use of credit cards at point of sale. Verifying identity to prevent credit card fraud in the retail sector is a practice that has been endorsed not only by credit card companies and payment card processors, but also privacy commissioners.

They do this for fraud prevention purposes.Ĭredit card fraud is broadly known to be a significant problem and it is widely accepted that organizations need to take reasonable measures to reduce its occurrence.
#REQUEST PHOTOCOPY OF ID AND CREDIT CARD FREE#
''A Social Security number is prima facie privileged information,'' the justice wrote, adding that ''while the privilege must give way as required by statute, regulation or court order, in ordinary circumstances, the person who holds the Social Security number appears to be free to decline disclosure.Some organizations require customers to show photo identification to verify that a customer who wishes to use a credit card to purchase goods or services is in fact the individual named on the credit card offered. Justice Lebedeff said in her ruling that the question was whether, in a relationship between two private citizens - a landlord and a tenant - the state's consumer protection law protected the tenant's Social Security number from disclosure as confidential information.

Lebedeff of State Supreme Court in Manhattan also said that the landlord's claim to be entitled to the Social Security number as a condition of renewing the lease was deceptive. In a lengthy ruling, the court rejected a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a tenant who was threatened with eviction if she failed to give her Social Security number to her landlord. (2005) a New York State Supreme Court justice ruled that an existing tenant is not automatically required to give a landlord his or her Social Security number. You should always seek advice from an attorney licensed in your jurisdiction who can give you an informed opinion after reviewing all of the relevant information in your case. It's impossible to give detailed, accurate advice based on a few sentences on a website. This is not intended to be legal advice in your specific case. The answers to these questions can help you decide if you want to give out your Social Security number." There is no need to actually copy the card.ĭisclaimer: This is a general discussion of legal principles by a California lawyer and does not create an attorney/client relationship. You should ask why your number is needed, how it will be used and what will happen if you refuse. You should be careful about sharing your number, even when you are asked for it. We do not give your number to anyone, except when authorized by law. According to the Social Security Administration website: "The Social Security Administration protects your Social Security number and keeps your records confidential.
