Those checks you talk about, involve using SSNs at some point. Also, these checks are not scalable. I think, because you have not lived within a system without an id mechanism, you have no idea of the set of challenges you face as a business as well as an individual. Just think how would you prove to a lender your financial status. You would have to give him a copy of documents of all your assets (bank statements, property documents), copies of your tax returns.