Under section 205(c)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. § 405(c)(2)), the United States government is authorized to issue nine-digit Social Security numbers (SSN) to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary, working residents. The Social Security Administration (SSA), an independent agency of the federal government, issues SSNs to individuals. The main purpose of an SSN is to track individuals for Social Security taxes and benefits. However,