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from the if-in-doubt,-challenge-the-system dept.
The independent senator Nick Xenophon says he will refuse to include his name on his census form on Tuesday, knowing he could be prosecuted for it, because he is not convinced the national census does not present a huge privacy risk.
He says he is willing to make himself a test case to challenge the government's ability to prosecute Australians for withholding their name from the census and he has not changed his mind despite speaking to the chief statistician of the Bureau of Statistics.
"I understand that, by refusing to provide my name, I will be given a notice under the act to comply and the $180-a-day fine starts from then," Xenophon said on Monday. "I will contest any such notice and, by doing so, I will in effect turn it into a test case for the ability of this request.
"In the meantime, I will be seeking amendments to section 14 of the act so that a person cannot be prosecuted if they fail to provide their name. In other words, it will ensure such information is unambiguously non-compulsory.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 09 2016, @09:40AM
SSN? You mean tax file number
or "drivers licence" although bugger me if I can remember the last time I showed it to a cop
The gas and electric company wanted my drivers licence to connect. I told them I don't drive. Then they asked for my proof of age card. Told em I don't drink. Asked for my date of birth. I asked why they need it since they know where I live. In the end she just connected the gas and water. Why they try to collect all our info I may never know.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 09 2016, @06:29PM
Debt collection.
The more info they know about you, the more clearly they can identify you and the more likely they'll be able to collect what you owe them in the event it comes to that.
(Score: 2) by Capt. Obvious on Wednesday August 10 2016, @03:39AM
I meant SSN. Although, if you file taxes under a different scheme, they would know that too. Or do you think the government doesn't need to know your Social Security number?