Policy 2005-03

Protection of Social Security Numbers

All Township elected officials and employees shall abide by the provisions of Michigan’s “Social Security Privacy Act” by prohibiting the disclosure of social security numbers with respect to more than four sequential numbers of a person’s social security number in certain circumstances including the following:

· No public display of the numbers;

· Not using the numbers as the primary account number for an individual;

· Not visibly printing the numbers on any identification badge or card, membership card, permit or license;

· Not requiring any person to use or transmit the numbers over the internet or computer system unless the connection is secure or encrypted;

· Not requiring any person to transmit the numbers to gain access to an internet website or computer system network unless the connection is secure, the transmission is encrypted, or password or other authentication devise is required to gain access;

· Not including the numbers in or on any document sent to an individual unless doing so is authorized by law, the document is sent as part of an application or enrollment process initiated by the individual, the document is sent to establish or confirm the status of service, amend or terminate an account, contract policy, or employee or health insurance benefit, or the document is mailed by a public body, or the document is mailed at the request of the individual whose number appears on the document.

Exceptions to the restrictions include:

· Use of the numbers to verify a person’s identity;

· Use of the numbers for an administrative purpose related to an account, transaction, product, service, or employment;

· Investigating the individual’s credit, criminal or driving history;

· Use of the numbers to provide or administer employee or health insurance benefits;

· Use of the numbers is authorized by law, pursuant to legal discovery or process, or pursuant to a criminal investigation or prosecution.

Access to social security numbers shall be limited to those who require the information in the course of business.

Documents that contain social security numbers shall be disposed in a manner that renders the numbers illegible when they are no longer needed.

Penalty for violation of the Michigan Act:

· A person who knowingly violates this act is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 93 days or a fine of not more than $1,000.00 or both;

· A person may also bring a civil action to recover actual damages.