My Number Glitch Raises Privacy Fears
![](https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/10532039.jpg)
Sample My Number Card
17:24 JST, May 11, 2023
A service enabling My Number cardholders to print copies of birth and residence certificates at convenience stores looks likely to be suspended following reports of glitches in which users have received other residents’ documents.
The Digital Agency has asked the developer of the system, Fujitsu Japan Ltd., to suspend the service in all of the about 200 municipalities it is offered.
However, a Fujitsu Japan representative said, “We cannot provide a clear timeline for the completion of all necessary measures,” because the system varies by municipality, necessitating individualized checks and suspensions.
Ten cases of glitches were reported in Yokohama on March 27. The service was subsequently suspended in the municipality. Glitches were also reported in Tokyo’s Adachi Ward on March 22 and April 18, and in Kawasaki on May 2.
The cause of the problem is thought to be a system overload during periods when use of the service surges.
The Digital Agency asked Fujitsu Japan to suspend the service due to fears people might lose faith in the My Number system if problems continue.
“The issue does not lie with the card itself,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno stressed at a press conference on Wednesday. Matsuno said comprehensive measures would be adopted to address the problem. The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry has also called for system-wide inspections.
Yokohama and Kawasaki have reported that their respective issues have been resolved and are currently monitoring the situation, despite ongoing problems elsewhere.
"Society" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Japan Court OKs Sex Change without Surgery
-
3 Climbers Die On Mt. Fuji Within 2 Days Of Opening; Japan Police, Guides Urge Climbers To Prepare Well, Make Wise Decisions
-
Sex Crime Perpetrators Linked to U.S. Military in 166 Cases in Japan over 35 years; Local, Prefectural Governments Often Not Aware of Crimes
-
New Mt. Fuji Rules Reduce ‘Bullet Climbers’ by 90%; Access to Japan’s Iconic Peak Limited from Yamanashi Pref. Side
-
Tokaido Shinkansen Trains Suspended Between Hamamatsu and Nagoya Due to Accident; Resuming Services Expected Noon at Earliest
JN ACCESS RANKING