Where is the social organizations faq?

Through functionality creep, the SIN has become a de facto national identification number, much in the same way as the Social Security Number in the United States. Although, unlike in the US, in Canada there are specific legislated purposes for which a SIN can be requested. Unless an organization can demonstrate that the reason they are asking for a person's SIN is specifically allowed by law, or that no alternative identifiers would suffice to complete the transaction, they cannot deny or refuse a product or service on the grounds of a refusal to provide a SIN. Examples of organizations that legitimately require an SIN include employers, banks and investment companies, and federal government agencies. Giving an SIN when applying for consumer credit, such as buying a car or electronics, or allowing it to be used as a general purpose identification number, such as by your cable company, is likely a bad idea.