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"It's largely because there is no "National ID" system in the US (due to political reasons). That makes it hard for companies to track people, and the SSN is the only number that people consistently have."

"Real ID" is now a thing. It's a "National ID". https://www.dhs.gov/real-id



> REAL ID is a federal law, not an actual piece of ID. Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005. The act established minimum security standards for state-issued driver licenses and ID cards.

https://www.dol.wa.gov/about/real-id-overview.html

REAL ID doesn't sound like a federal ID system, it's just security standards for state issued ID cards.


If states are complying to federal standards for ID, then it is effectively a federal ID.


But they aren't issued or backed by the federal government. There isn't a national database for it, each state still has it's own system


There is a national database. It is called SPEXS.


No it isn't. This might be the case when SSNs stop being requested for non social-security purposes and 'real id' starts to get used in its place.

People don't necessarily have them either. Only those who have chosen to do so at a DMV.

SSNs are often assigned at birth, for people born in the US.




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