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Japanese National ID Number
From: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Sat, 15 Feb 2003 16:58:51 -0500
------ Forwarded Message From: Naoki Yamamoto <naoki () matatabi com> Organization: Matatabi.com Inc. Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2003 05:48:53 +0900 To: dave () farber net Subject: Re: [IP] Good news for IP, for a change Mainichi Shinbun(a national newspaper) reports that some banks in Japan have been using the eleven-digit National ID number as one of the acceptable identifications when a customer opens an account. Private corporations and organizations are banned from using the National ID number. Only the national and local governments are allowed to handle such personal information according to the basic resident registry law. The banks may have violated the law. The Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Post and Telecommunications has asked Japanese Bankers Association to stop using the National ID number. In a brochure that the association sent out its members last September, the association listed the letter of notification of the new National ID number as an acceptable official ID as good as driver's license or passport. http://www.mainichi.co.jp/news/flash/shakai/20030215k0000m040184000c.html (Japanese) [An ID number was assigned to each of Japan's 126 million citizens last Summer when the government launched the computerized national resident registry network. Many Japanese are uneasy about the new ID system since there is no heavy penalty against the leakage of personal data and no privacy bill to allow each individual to verify and control his own data on the network. There have been some strong protest against the network and some municipalities have not yet fully participated in it. I live in one of those municipalities where the residents can opt-out from the system. My wife and I have chosen to withdraw our number. -naoki] -- Naoki Yamamoto <naoki () matatabi com> in Yokohama, Japan Matatabi Report:Japan Tech News Digest <http://www.matatabi.com> Gpg Fingerprint = B2A7 2A11 C50B DCC4 83EB 9311 607A FAE9 386B F070 Public Key available from <http://www.matatabi.com/naoki_pubkey.html> ------ End of Forwarded Message ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com To unsubscribe or update your address, click http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
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- Japanese National ID Number Dave Farber (Feb 15)