by SomeoneFromScandinavia » Mon Mar 11, 2019 2:03 pm
It's a lil' bit convoluted:
Each person in each Scandi country has a "Social Security Number", essentially a way by which the state identifies you, given at birth (or when you move to the country). I imagine it sounds somewhat surveillance-y to people unfamiliar with it, but with the vast amount of benefits the state provides, it makes sense they would have to identify people somehow. The number is used essentially every time you're in contact with an official entity - claiming benefits, going to the doctor, enrolling in schools, etc.
So the state doesn't read your emails, but knows where you live, when you were born, and a lot of sort of general big-picture stuff you're currently doing. This make it very easy to:
Make big statistical data sets.
Send letters out to a large number of people of appropriate age groups or specific demographics or whichever, inviting them to participate in studies.
Track twins living under different circumstances, then invite them to participate in studies etc.
This last one - twin studies - is especially interesting as it allows some measurement of the age-old nature vs. nurture question. Are you born to like pickled herring, or raised to like pickled herring. Are your political views dependent on your biological parents or the people who raise you. That sorta thing.
It's a lil' bit convoluted:
Each person in each Scandi country has a "Social Security Number", essentially a way by which the state identifies you, given at birth (or when you move to the country). I imagine it sounds somewhat surveillance-y to people unfamiliar with it, but with the vast amount of benefits the state provides, it makes sense they would have to identify people somehow. The number is used essentially every time you're in contact with an official entity - claiming benefits, going to the doctor, enrolling in schools, etc.
So the state doesn't read your emails, but knows where you live, when you were born, and a lot of sort of general big-picture stuff you're currently doing. This make it very easy to:
Make big statistical data sets.
Send letters out to a large number of people of appropriate age groups or specific demographics or whichever, inviting them to participate in studies.
Track twins living under different circumstances, then invite them to participate in studies etc.
This last one - twin studies - is especially interesting as it allows some measurement of the age-old nature vs. nurture question. Are you born to like pickled herring, or raised to like pickled herring. Are your political views dependent on your biological parents or the people who raise you. That sorta thing.