SSNs and ID Theft
When:
December 10-11, 2007
Where:
FTC Conference Center
601 New Jersey Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001

On December 10 and 11, 2007, the Federal Trade Commission will host a public workshop, “Security in Numbers: SSNs and ID Theft,” to explore the uses of Social Security numbers in the private sector and the role of SSNs in identity theft.  This workshop continues the work of the President’s Identity Theft Task Force, and, in particular, its recommendation to explore ways to reduce unnecessary uses of the SSN.  The workshop will provide a forum for public-sector, private-sector, and consumer representatives to discuss the various uses of SSNs by the private sector, the necessity of those uses, alternatives available, the challenges faced by the private sector in moving away from using SSNs, and how SSNs are obtained and used by identity thieves.  The workshop will be free and open to the public.

BACKGROUND MATERIALS

  • President’s Identity Theft Task Force website: www.idtheft.gov.
  • President’s Identity Theft Task Force Strategic Plan.
  • Workshop Presentations:
    • Panel 1
      John Webb, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Southern District of West Virginia [PDF]
    • Panels 1 and 6
      Chris Hoofnagle, Senior Staff Attorney, Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic at UC Berkeley School of Law Senior Fellow, Berkeley Center for Law & Technology [PDF]
    • Panel 6
      Jim Lewis, Senior Fellow and Director of the Technology and Public Policy Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies [PDF]

PRE-REGISTRATION

This workshop is free and open to the public, but space will be limited.  Pre-registration is not necessary to attend but is encouraged so that we may better plan this event.  Those pre-registering should send their name and affiliation to SSNpreregister@ftc.gov.  Please note that pre-registration will not guarantee a seat at the event; seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.  The FTC will use pre-registration information to estimate how many people will attend and better understand the likely audience for the workshop. 

Note:  When you pre-register, the FTC collects your name and affiliation.  We will use this information for administrative purposes related to the workshop and will dispose of it following the workshop.  Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) or other laws, we may be required to disclose the information you provide to outside organizations.  For additional information, including routine uses permitted by the Privacy Act, see the FTC Privacy Policy.  The FTC Act and other laws the FTC enforces allow the collection of this contact information for the purposes described above.

REQUESTING TO BE A PANELIST – Deadline October 19, 2007

Parties seeking to participate as panelists in the workshop must notify the FTC in writing of their interest in participating on or before October 19, 2007.  Selected panelists will be notified on or before November 9, 2007. 

To Nominate Yourself or Someone Else:
Email: Requests to participate can be submitted electronically to: SSNworkshop@ftc.gov

Mail or Hand Delivery: Federal Trade Commission/Office of the Secretary, Room H-135 (Annex K), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580.  Because postal mail in the Washington area and at the Commission is subject to delay, please consider submitting your request by email, as prescribed above.  The FTC asks that any request filed in paper form be sent by courier or overnight service, if possible.
Requirements
- Requests to participate as a panelist should be captioned: “Security in Numbers – P075414.”  A request to participate filed in paper form should include the above caption both in the text and on the envelope.
- Parties should include in their requests a statement setting forth the proposed panelist’s expertise in or knowledge of the issues on which the workshop will focus and their contact information, including a telephone number, facsimile number, and email address, to enable the FTC to notify them if they are selected.
To Request Confidential Treatment:
You must file in paper form and clearly label the first page of the document with “Confidential” and comply with Commission Rule 4.9(c).