This happens in Georgia:
A simple online search of a Cherokee County government web site revealed social security numbers posted for all to see — and it turns out, this is happening across the state. Channel 2’s Tom Regan logged on to the Cherokee County web site, entered a few common names and within a few clicks was able to obtain social security numbers for complete strangers, courtesy of the IRS and the county court web site.
The County Clerk of Courts, Patty Baker, explained that her hands are tied:
"I'm required by law not to alter the document and by law I cannot alter the document."
That's one fine law. And it applies
...to all county courts in Georgia — not just Cherokee. The result? People who have federal tax liens against them — sometimes for years as they dispute unpaid taxes — have their entire social security sitting out on the world wide web for anyone to see.
Luckily, one creative County official has belatedly found a loophole:
"My clerks are instructed to black it out on the web site. We cannot alter the original document, so we have to make a copy of it, black it out and put that on the web site."
It's a truly scrumptious example of legislative idiocy and bureaucratic busywork.
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