From: utzoo!decvax!duke!harpo!eagle!mhtsa!alice!npoiv!hou5f!kfr
Newsgroups: net.aviation
Title: FAA violations of the Privacy Act
Article-I.D.: hou5f.176
Posted: Thu Jan  6 10:11:41 1983
Received: Fri Jan  7 02:37:54 1983

The FAA's application for a flight test, as well as other FAA forms,
request the Social Security Number (SSN) of the applicant.

The Privacy Act of 1974 prohibits federal agencies from using the SSN
unless specifically granted permission by statute. The FAA's use of
the SSN is not so covered, and the FAA's use is illegal!.
The Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579) also requires any agency "which requests
an individual to disclose his social security account number shall
inform that individual whether that disclosure is mandatory or voluntary,
by what statutory or other authority such number is solicited, and what
uses will be made of it." The FAA does not comply with this either.

I am in possession of a letter from the FAA in Washington that says  that
an applicant does not have to disclose their SSN, and in that case the FAA
will assign their own ID number. So far this has not helped much on the
local (New Jersey) level. Has anyone else had any experience with this
issue?