RI Senate Votes to Protect Social Security Numbers
It would be illegal for Rhode Island businesses to ask for any part of a customer's Social Security number under legislation endorsed by the state Senate.
According to a Boston.com article, the state already prohibits businesses from asking for a person's entire Social Security number. The new legislation would stop businesses from using partial Social Security numbers -- most commonly the last four digits -- to identify customers or create customer passwords. Businesses that run credit checks on customers would be exempted.