You can't rent a hotel room or an automobile without a credit card, apparently "legal tender for all debts public and private" doesn't cut it any more. You have to provide a SS number for dozens of transactions, including opening a bnank account, wasn't that supposed to be priveleged information between you and the Soc. Sec. Admin?
Many professions are closing to individuals without "proper certification", an expensive piece of paper you buy from some non-official professional organization whose primary function is to certify professionals, and which essentially just summarizes the information that is already in your former employers' recommendations and educational transcripts. And in order to get your warranty on a new purchase honored you have to provide multiple personal details which can be cross-referenced and filed to target you with advertising.
Not only are commercial organizations incapable of guaranteeing the security of our privileged information, now they have the audacity to sell us "protection" from its theft or misuse, while they gleefully peddle our personal data in an open bazaar of marketers and advertisers.
Wherever the government snoops are heading, they will find the terrain thoroughly populated when they get there.