Social Insurance Numbers (SIN)

by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, 1996
Republished with permission

Who can ask me for my SIN?

Anyone can ask for your SIN—there is no law to stop them. Canadians find themselves asked for their SIN by landlords, stores, libraries and even hockey teams. However, you do not have to give it to them.

Well, who must I give it to?

There are a few federal laws which require you to give your SIN for specific purposes. These are:

for Old Age Security (OAS), Employment Insurance (EI) and Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions or claims (the original purposes for the SIN);
for Income Tax identification;
to your employer to send to your contributions to EI, CPP and Income Tax;
to banks, trust companies, caisse populaires and stock brokers when they sell you financial products (GICs or Canada Savings Bonds) or services (bank accounts) that generate interest. They declare your interest to Revenue Canada for income purposes;
for various Veterans Affairs benefit programs;
for Canada Student Loans;
for two Native peoples' programs (Rural and Native Housing Program and Social Assistance and Economic Development Program); and
for Gasoline and Aviation Gasoline Excise Tax Applications, Canadian Wheat Board Act, Labour Adjustment Benefits Act, Tax Rebate Discounting Regulations, Race Track Supervision Regulations and the National Dose Registry for Occupational Exposures to Radiation.

Why do other organizations ask for my SIN?

Many stores, financial institutions and even landlords use the SIN to check your credit rating. Credit bureaus use SINs as credit file numbers. Other organizations simply use it as a client number to save them setting up their own numbering systems. And finally, it has simply become a bad habit—it's on the form but no one knows why.

What can happen if I refuse to give my SIN?

If you refuse, the organization may deny you the service. This is not illegal even though successive federal privacy commissioners—and a Parliamentary committee—have said it should be.

What can someone find out if they have my SIN?

No one can get access to your federal government records just because he or she has your SIN. The Privacy Act sets out strict rules limiting other peoples' access to your personal information in federal data banks. However, who uses your SIN outside the federal government—and how—depends on how well the organization protects its files.

Can a provincial government use the SIN?

The law does not prevent provinces (or local governments) from using SINs. In Prince Edward Island, for example, parents of newborns must get the baby a SIN for their health care plan. And provincial governments use the SIN when they administer federal funds (like the Quebec Pension Plan or welfare). However, all provinces (except Alberta and Prince Edward Island) have privacy laws to protect personal information—including SINs—in government files. And the Quebec privacy law covers the private sector.

Some provinces are reviewing their uses of the SIN. If you are concerned about your provincial government's use of the number (and/or the private sector in Quebec), call your provincial privacy commissioner (or ombudsman where there is no commissioner). See the blue pages of your telephone book.

Why should I worry about the SIN, it's just a number.

True, it's just a number and individual file numbers are not necessarily a privacy problem. But the SIN is very powerful because it is unique, accurate and widely used. Computer technology now makes it possible to use the SIN to find and match your information from one database to another. Theoretically, technology makes it possible to assemble a detailed profile about you—what you buy, read, eat, where and when you travel, your medical history, your financial situation. This amounts to "data surveillance", or monitoring you through your daily transactions. This can pose a serious threat to our autonomy.

So what can I do when asked for my SIN?

Ask if you are required by law to provide it (see "Well who must I give it to?", above).
Ask why the person needs it, how it will be used and to whom it will be given.
If not required by law (and you are not satisfied with the explanation), tell the person you prefer not to use the SIN and offer other identification.
If the organization refuses to give you the product or service unless you give your SIN, complain to senior management and possibly to your provincial or federal privacy commissioner (or ombudsman, where there is no commissioner).
If you would like better legal protection for your SIN, call or write your federal member of Parliament.

This report is available from the publications section of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada site; full versions of the Privacy Commissioner's annual reports can also be found on their site.