<prompt> Human: Growing up we were taught to never put our SSN on applications. Instead, we would provide it with a job offer. That reduced the paper trail of sensitive information. My now 18 year old son, still in high school, is filling out a lot of applications online. A majority of them want his SSN right off the bat. How does he go about not adding it to every single application, especially for those online? He has yet to enter it anywhere since I am a horrible old-school mother who refuses to hand it over. It is not like he is applying for a career job at a law firm or hospital. Right now we would be happy for McDs or Joes Coffee Shop. Hasnt Equifax taught us anything? Any suggestions? Thank you in advance for your time and assistance.  <response>: running credit checks plays an increasingly part of the hiring process. You can refuse to enter any information on a job application, that usually leads to the circular file cabinet. 