[mikegriff]

That's pretty much what is happening now in Ireland. Irish Water is asking for PPS numbers for all the children in a household and for the main householder. PPS numbers are similar to Social Security numbers in the US.

At the moment Irish Water is a semi state body, but there are large fears that it will be sold off to a private company in a few years, along with the PPS numbers and details of everyone in Ireland.

There was a large demonstration against it last weekend [1]

[1] http://www.thejournal.ie/water-charge-protest-in-dublin-1718...

[merrua]

The fear might be strengthened by the fact someone admitted that was the plan and it went on wikileaks

[rmc]

Yup. Irish person here. Hence how I know. Now, I'm not saying that the way IW is doing it well, or that PPS numbers are a good approach. But the idea that "How will they know?" is some sort of unanswerable, impossible question is silly.