Politics & Government

Japan Digital Agency Given Guidance over My Number Mess

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Digital Minister Taro Kono explaining the issue of My Number identification card at the Diet in July.

Jiji Press

17:30 JST, September 20, 2023

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Personal Information Protection Commission on Wednesday issued administrative guidance to the Digital Agency over the problem-prone My Number personal identification system.

The move came after My Number identification numbers of some people were found to have been wrongly linked with the bank accounts of other people. The linkages of the numbers with bank accounts for receiving public benefits are registered on the agency’s system.

The agency received administrative guidance for the first time since its launch in September 2021.

The agency submitted a report on the issue in June, but the government commission judged the report insufficient.

In July, the commission conducted an on-site inspection of the agency under the My Number law, bearing in mind the possibility of issuing administrative guidance.