Italy: https://ilmiocf.it lets you generate your equivalent of an ssn (fiscal code). And, yes...if you know someone's very basic details you have the number.
For US viewers, enter 'stati uniti' as 'comune di nascita'.
Whereas in Israel, a national ID number is treated as just that - an ID number. You put it on every single contract you sign, on most bureaucratic forms, &c, and it's used to match up individual identity rather than names. On many online services, your ID number is your username, and your password is chosen per-service.
Why is it always Italians shitting on the country without knowing what they're talking about? This is absolutely not comparable. You can't ruin someone's life if you have their codice fiscale (source: am Italian).
Most countries do have some kind of id number like that, but they always have a "password" too. In Italy authentication is done by the SPID providers[1] or with an electronic id card (or physically with an id card, driving license or passport).
You can't get a credit card and spend as much as you want in their name. You need at least a stolen or counterfeit physical document to open a bank account, or a stolen password and a SPID second factor to file a fraudulent tax return. In the US the SSN is often enough unless you opt into freezing credit.
[1] for non Italians, that's the acronym for public digital identity system; it's a SAML-based authentication mechanism used by most public websites including tax returns, pension/welfare, and healthcare
Read again "Italy: https://ilmiocf.it lets you generate your equivalent of an ssn (fiscal code). And, yes...if you know someone's very basic details you have the number."
I did not say you can "ruin someone's life" with it. I very clearly wrote "if you know someone's very basic details you have the number". No more, no less.
If I knew the details of Milano Bonzini, born in Milano on 10/10/2010 then this is (probably) their codice: BNZMLN10R10F205U.
I thought the site would be __fun__ for foreigners (US, but not only) on HN, maybe if they have Italian heritage, they can work out nonna's number.
The "stampa codice a barre", is equally fun and I know several visitors that have printed it out to go with their holiday memories.
It's always a bit jarring to see scientific data presented in non-metric units, even in the US. But as an American, I only understand density in terms of Libraries of Congress per Olympic Sized Swimming Pools
What is the base unit of "Libraries of Congress per Olympic Sized Swimming Pools"? Does the expansion rate of the LoC match the expansion rate of the universe?
It's clearly in Celsius, which is the metric system's temperature unit and it is clearly stated on the website's about page:
By default the page loads and displays distances in miles, temperatures in Fahrenheit, ie English units (also known as Imperial or USCS system units). If you wish to have the page load and display in kilometers and temperatures in Celsius, ie metric system units use the urls below to select your preferred units.
Specifically which parts of Europe? It's a big place, and I have given negative references with no fear of liability. And that includes across EU borders, including the UK.
But just like the UK press can't describe anyone as 'tired and emotional' anymore these days, because that particular euphemism for 'drunk' has become transparent, many of the traditional German euphemisms for sub-par work have been attacked by the courts.
I'm currently in the UK, and at least here I've been told by legal that a negative reference can lead to massive issues in front of an Employment Tribunal, and that it's effectively not worth it when we can just decline to give any reference at all.
On the flip side, a reference has an implicit duty of skill and care to both the former employee and the person asking for the reference, so an overly-positive reference can also lead to legal liability from the person asking for the reference.
