Are you aware that the API appears to be publishing the SSN of each individual? Although I’m aware most SSNs are leaked in one breach or another, I still thought it was customary in the U.S. to attempt to keep such information somewhat protected.
Yes, that’s on purpose. SSNs of *deceased* people are public, not private. They are never reused. They are available under FOIA from other sources as well, such as the SSDMF.
I agree it probably isn't a great idea to publish it... I'm guessing some malicious actor could find a way to use this information to fiddle with the remaining benefits their family might be receiving...
That said, the _typical_ things an SSN is used for would not be terribly useful for someone that's been dead >2-4 years... Automated checks should flag e.g. credit applications as being for a dead person :-)
Social Security Admin publishes a master death file containing a list of SSNs of those who have died. This is how institutions know to close credit, deposit, and brokerage accounts; they subscribe to and consume the file. Some copies of it have been uploaded to the Internet Archive when someone has obtained a copy (cost to obtain from NTIS is prohibitive for individuals, but reasonable for commercial customers).
Broadly speaking, right to privacy evaporates at death, and when the Machine is working properly, SSNs have no value once they have been marked as deceased in SSA's system of record (as that flows through to various gov and commercial systems to ensure benefits cease and next of kin processes kick off for anything of value).
>49 states plus the District of Columbia have voter registration lists and in all of them there is a process for removing deceased voters from the list. (Note: North Dakota does not require people to register to vote.)
