Who can collect my Social Insurance Number (SIN)?
The SIN is assigned by the Government of Canada and the Ontario government has no jurisdiction over its use. Information about the SIN is available from Service Canada. Under the section “Protecting Your SIN,” it states: “Some private-sector organizations may ask for your SIN. This practice is strongly discouraged, but it is not illegal.” The Ontario government uses people’s SINs to administer specific programs, such as providing loans under the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) and providing certain Ontario tax benefits such as the sales tax credit.
