Japan's digital ID card gets emergency review amid data leaks

Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida has ordered an emergency review of the nation's ID Cards, amid revelations of glitches and data leaks that threaten the government's digital services push. The "My Number" card is unique identification for all Japanese residents and is necessary to access some government services. The …

[Phil O'Sophical]

unique identification for all Japanese residents and is necessary to access some government services.

One Card to rule them all, One Card to find them, One Card to bring them all and in the darkness bind them?

[Anonymous Coward]

And if you use The One Card, the Powers That Be All Seeing Eye will have you trapped in its pitiless, soulless gaze...

[Graham Cobb]

measures to reduce the ageing of the nation's population

Now, that's a government initiative worth getting behind. Shame I would apparently need a failed ID card to join in.

[Phil O'Sophical]

As long as they haven't got the ideas from Logan's Run ...

[Pascal Monett]

Just one question

Was Crapita involved ?

[Version 1.0]

Re: Just one question

Unfortunately if it's digital then it's accessible these days.

[Howard Sway]

The government will make all-out efforts to regain the trust of the people as soon as possible

Well done for your expensive demonstration of why a government mandated digital ID card is such a terrible idea.

[razorfishsl]

In Hong kong , Identity cards are done in person , by individuals of the government it two separate areas or floors.

and with fingerprints + facial identity..

it's not rocket science...

[DeathSquid]

Fingerprints aren't acceptable in Japan for cultural reasons.

[Ken Y-N]

It's not as bad as it sounds

Most of the processes involved in setting up the system involve manual input, often by third parties. For instance, my health insurance is though a company scheme, so someone in their office has to go through and link the My Number card belonging to N Kenneth A matches their policy holder called K Y-N (don't ask), so cock-ups have come from mixing up people this the same names, or other problems have been a husband and wife applying for their cards but their photos being swapped on their cards.

Real IT problems were earlier in the year with the system for printing out government documents at convenience stores, as there were probably timing errors with two transactions getting mixed up at the back end.

[t245t]

Use of Face Authentication Systems Associated with the “My Number Card”

Use of Face Authentication Systems Associated with the “My Number Card”

[DeathSquid]

A giant shit show

The government has been cooking this frog slowly. Originally, the cards were entirely optional. Then you had to provide them to open bank accounts and lodge tax returns. Then they shut down the very convenient out of hours kiosks that municipalities provided to print key documents, and forced you to use MyNumber or take the day off work. Now the health insurance card integration is intended to make them effectively mandatory.

Problem is, getting a card is a typical government service. It can take 3 months or longer. So you'd better hope you don't get sick. Or if you do, that you are wealthy enough to pay out of pocket. What makes me think that politicians get their cards without all the rigmarole of the little people?

And, of course, the system is discriminatory. A citizen's card lasts 10 years and when it is about to expire they get a renewal form sent to them. Foreigners get a card that expires when they renew their visa (which can be as short as 6 months), and get no renewal form sent to them. Do they get a refund on the health insurance? Don't be silly.

Will they actually fix any of this? No. The system is ony intended to extract more tax.