State Agencies in 41 states and the District of Columbia reported visible SSNs in at least one type of record and a few states have them in as many as 10 or more different records. SSNs were most often found on state and local court records and in local property ownership records.
While few state agencies make SSNs available over the Internet, as many as 28 percent of the nation's 3,141 counties do place them on the Internet, affecting millions of people, according to the GAO.
Federal agency display of SSNs in public records is prohibited under the Privacy Act of 1974. However, the GAO found that SSNs are displayed on cards issued to millions of individuals under the authority of federal agencies for identity purposes and health benefits. They involve approximately 42 million Medicare cards, 8 million Department of Defense identity and insurance cards and 7 million Veterans Affairs ID cards. There is no federal law prohibiting the display of SSNs on these cards.
The GAO recommends that the Office of Management and Budget identify those federal activities that require or engage in the display of SSNs on health insurance, identification or any other cards issued to federal government personnel or program beneficiaries and devise a government-wide policy to ensure a consistent approach to the display of SSNs.
