The great primary-key debate

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Privacy and Data Protection Violation

In Canada, European Union member countries, and others around the world, you would be seriously violating data protection and privacy laws in using a personal key other than the purpose for which it was originally intended. National IDs (or those that come close to being such), credit card numbers, bank accounts, even e-mail addresses, should not be used as keys except in the systems or specific functions for which they were intended. And then, strict security should be put in place to prevent improper disclosure (like the embarrassing one at US Dept of Social Security).

As for the US, get ready, with all the corporate malfeasance these days, it's only a matter of time before legislation, and not just good business sense, forces IT depts to comply. Proactive design can save a lot of future expense and embarrassment. By the way, foreign laws apply when you are storing data on the citizens of countries with protection legislation. In the EU, data protection is actually enshrinedin the constitution!

Posted: 07/23/2002 @ 08:49 PM (PDT)

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Read original item: The great primary-key debate

Great debate?Lyndal | 03/22/2002 @ 03:01 AM (PST)

Greate Read, Nothing Beginner about ittandel | 03/23/2002 @ 01:09 AM (PST)

Greate Read, Nothing Beginner about ittandel | 03/23/2002 @ 01:14 AM (PST)

sequential?bob@... | 03/25/2002 @ 12:09 AM (PST)

Natural primary keysjwallison | 03/26/2002 @ 07:58 PM (PST)

I've had this argument many a time with seasone...travis@... | 03/27/2002 @ 12:23 AM (PST)

Access/Jet Can Make "Mistakes"mattohare@... | 04/03/2002 @ 02:12 AM (PST)

use of surrogate keyerik.bronckaers@... | 10/10/2002 @ 08:32 PM (PDT)

You've been luckynyc_guru_sorta | 04/12/2002 @ 12:06 PM (PDT)

Surrogate PKs and Composite PKsbuilder@... | 03/26/2002 @ 12:47 AM (PST)

This is where you'd relate the tablestravis@... | 03/27/2002 @ 12:20 AM (PST)

Line item table keysrick@... | 03/28/2002 @ 12:04 AM (PST)

Child Table PKsmattohare@... | 04/03/2002 @ 02:39 AM (PST)

ProdID based on current business ruleswmillett@... | 04/08/2002 @ 01:44 AM (PDT)

Bad Idea for Line ItemsM. Shawn Dillon | 07/03/2002 @ 12:20 PM (PDT)

Opinion on builder's PK questionKeeBored | 10/09/2002 @ 11:12 PM (PDT)

Duplicate recordsrick@... | 03/27/2002 @ 06:17 AM (PST)

Duplicate Recordsbcbeatty | 03/28/2002 @ 11:32 PM (PST)

Unique Clauseaaron_myers | 10/09/2002 @ 11:00 PM (PDT)

Two of the major factors in deciding on a natur...JimGawn | 04/02/2004 @ 01:28 PM (PST)

one problemThomasAnderson | 03/27/2002 @ 08:26 AM (PST)

Reading for comprehension...AdminSparky | 03/28/2002 @ 10:37 PM (PST)

Solutionharkins@... | 04/02/2002 @ 11:45 AM (PST)

More Solutionmattohare@... | 04/03/2002 @ 02:49 AM (PST)

Surrogates are unnaturalhjweigel@... | 03/29/2002 @ 09:44 AM (PST)

My concernlnarendra@... | 04/01/2002 @ 03:56 AM (PST)

It's not a surrogate primary key if the the use...adolf s | 04/02/2002 @ 11:14 PM (PST)

Primary key is not seenrsalcedo | 04/02/2002 @ 11:38 PM (PST)

A word of caution re advocating that a surrogat...JimGawn | 04/02/2004 @ 01:59 PM (PST)

Social Security Numbers Not Uniquejeffdi@... | 04/03/2002 @ 11:36 PM (PST)

SSN Faux Follymattohare@... | 04/05/2002 @ 07:35 AM (PST)

1st Law of Security: Coincidences ain'tian_ison@... | 05/11/2003 @ 03:34 PM (PDT)

There's even moreK.I.S.S. | 06/26/2002 @ 07:15 AM (PDT)

Privacy and Data Protection Violationk_edwards | 07/23/2002 @ 08:49 PM (PDT)

The conclusion is just plain wrong!AgeTheGod | 04/04/2002 @ 06:24 AM (PST)

maybe...adolf s | 04/04/2002 @ 08:02 PM (PST)

I have to agree + (part 2)jharden@... | 04/30/2002 @ 03:18 AM (PDT)

I have to agree + (part 1)jharden@... | 04/30/2002 @ 03:20 AM (PDT)

I have to agree + (part 3)jharden@... | 04/30/2002 @ 03:21 AM (PDT)

Body of evidence...Tore | 10/10/2002 @ 01:17 AM (PDT)

So give some examples...Tore | 10/10/2002 @ 01:13 AM (PDT)

Re: The conclusion is just plain wrong!JimGawn | 04/02/2004 @ 02:09 PM (PST)

Non Primary TablesLee Quinn | 04/04/2002 @ 11:51 PM (PST)

Flat Wronghwwang_2000@... | 04/05/2002 @ 03:35 AM (PST)

Read it againmwp.reid@... | 04/21/2002 @ 12:16 AM (PDT)

No surrogate keyTheGreatWall | 04/10/2002 @ 11:22 AM (PDT)

Builder.com irresponsiblerjplummer | 04/16/2002 @ 02:59 AM (PDT)

Rubbishmwp.reid@... | 04/21/2002 @ 12:14 AM (PDT)

Rubbish..NOTbyrmol@... | 04/21/2002 @ 05:55 PM (PDT)

Thats' one for the booksBunce | 06/16/2002 @ 07:38 PM (PDT)

Study this ...jharden@... | 04/30/2002 @ 03:43 AM (PDT)

Not set in stonepablopp@... | 12/18/2007 @ 10:39 PM (PST)

And the soap box is outdated at thatK.I.S.S. | 06/26/2002 @ 08:06 AM (PDT)

User Interface and PKntcse@... | 04/28/2004 @ 08:02 PM (PDT)

Real world example: Natural key badJasonVeniot | 06/25/2002 @ 10:43 PM (PDT)

My rules for keysJoe Celko | 07/10/2002 @ 03:43 AM (PDT)

An Exceptiondburr@... | 03/21/2008 @ 11:01 AM (PDT)

First, there is already a similar article at omen | 06/27/2002 @ 07:09 AM (PDT)

More things to consider...jgodse1@... | 07/28/2002 @ 01:30 AM (PDT)

Too dogmaticGilles1 | 07/23/2002 @ 06:47 AM (PDT)

Article is bang on.peter.kurth@... | 10/10/2002 @ 01:48 AM (PDT)

I've learned a great tipsugly@... | 11/06/2002 @ 08:54 PM (PST)

Who cares and why?cradford@... | 01/05/2003 @ 10:05 PM (PST)

Nothing But A Furphyjourneyman2001@... | 01/14/2003 @ 11:25 AM (PST)

Ack!!!journeyman2001@... | 01/14/2003 @ 11:57 AM (PST)

While I'm here though...journeyman2001@... | 01/14/2003 @ 12:04 PM (PST)

Usefule advice marred by serious misconceptionsJimGawn | 04/02/2004 @ 06:35 PM (PST)

Database Design and Surrogate Keysfrances.brickhill@... | 07/13/2004 @ 01:13 PM (PDT)

RE: The great primary-key debatedburr@... | 03/21/2008 @ 11:03 AM (PDT)

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