Then there are the legitimate complaints about Facebook and its ilk already knowing too much about users. And what would the companies do to protect personal information better than they have in the past? If the vetting of legitimate users were expanded, and the number of phony ones were reduced, the amount of hate speech and fake news polluting the social media platforms would almost certainly dwindle. When you open a bank account, you typically have to provide your name, address, Social Security number and date of birth. The verification is also used to determine whether you have a criminal record that suggests possible money laundering or identity theft.

Source: New York Times April 10, 2019 18:00 UTC