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Thursday, April 30, 2009

What about the Privacy Act(1973)?


A friend of mine recently was pricing high speed Internet services from competitors in the area where he has moved to when he was confronted by a customer service who wanted his social security number. My friend refused to give his SSID and was told that it was a FCC requirement that customers be properly identified. My friend informed the CSR that printed on his SS card where the words, "not to be used for identification... " to which the CSR replied, "Whuh?" (think of Tim the ToolMan Taylor)

For the record the company was Comcast Cablevision, and I strongly oppose the policy of requiring a social security number in order to obtain their services. "Papers, papers please!" will be the demand from the conductor on the train, and the stewardess as she checks your boarding pass and papers. We are gradually being conditioned to think that this is all for our own good. I think not!

Americans on the average are allowing this to happen and think that those of us that oppose it are anti-American, or worse, Liberal Democrats. Well I am even further afield than that my friends as I am a registered Libertarian, and I do NOT attend any meetings or party banquets. I do agree with most of their political views however and this invasion of privacy must cease and desist.

Please take a moment of your time and write a letter to Congress and send a copy to Comcast and the FCC. Stop this ebb of liberties before you have no liberty at all.

1 comment:

  1. Since posting this comment, my friend has contacted Comcast once again (corporate) and received an apology from management, claiming that customer service was in error and that there is no policy that requires a social security number be given as identification.

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