Editorial: Japan Gov't Must Stop To Examine Problemplagued 'My Number' Cards

© The Mainichi This illustration shows the unique My Number ID card.

Japan's Diet has passed a series of bills to amend laws related to the My Number personal identification system, expanding the use of the controversial identification numbers beyond the three areas of social security, taxes and disaster response. Changing the setting actually requires the integration of the "My Number" card with the health card.

The amended laws will make it easier for the population to get quick help in case of infectious disease outbreaks and natural disasters, and will also allow the use of patient and medical records. It is very important whether the efficiency of administrative work will increase, whether the standard of living of the people will increase.

However, some bugs with the My Number card have raised public concern.

The cards allow for official IDs to be issued at shops within walking distance, but many users have obtained residence IDs abroad. Cardholders can also apply for My Number points, which can be used to pay for various services, but there have been cases where the points were mistakenly given to the wrong people. It also revealed that in around 130,000 cases, checking accounts meant to receive public benefits were split between family members, despite the fact that the beneficiaries should have kept them in their own names, identified by My Number cards.

Given the endless stream of issues affecting the core of my metering system, the government needs to stop and take action to restore public confidence.

Health card on the verge of cancellation

In the case of health insurance cards associated with my number card, there have been cases where medical information about the wrong people has been recorded, allowing others to see that information. There have also been cases in different parts of the country where people have been left without insurance because their details were entered incorrectly on their My Number health insurance card when their details were transferred from their employer's health insurance association. I work for the National Health Insurance Scheme.

A subsidiary of Fujitsu Ltd. was blamed for a system design flaw, issuing certificates to the wrong people at stores, with human error responsible for most of the other errors.

Digital Minister Taro says that "I don't have a problem with the numbering system", but apparently he doesn't understand people's problems. The sustainability of the entire system has been called into question by local authorities' control of the companies responsible for the eco-identification system, which covers the authenticity of documents.

Behind this chaos is the government's desperate move to promote My Card Number due to the delay in digitization in the country.

Last October, Kona unexpectedly approved a policy of canceling existing health insurance cards in the fall of 2024, reversing their previous policy of keeping my current cards next to my health insurance card number.

Applications for My Number cards have stopped following the announcement of the expiry of My Number units, and it has become clear that the additional burden is falling on local authorities, corporate health insurance associations and agencies that accept system identification orders.

There is widespread concern in nursing homes that people needing care can easily get a My Number health card when some find it difficult to communicate their intentions. While people can still use regular health insurance cards for one year after the amended law comes into effect, the government should consider extending this period depending on the situation.

The public also does not understand the system, which is evidenced in many cases where people are registered for family accounts to receive government benefits, although this does not allow them to receive cash benefits.

Of course, the government can speed up projects by setting a top-down schedule. This can be useful for uniting organizations in emergency situations such as the coronavirus pandemic. However, more careful consideration is required when creating a new system that will be viable in the future.

It's important to understand your audience

People make mistakes, and while we can correct them with systems, they cannot be considered perfect. In Moriguchi, Osaka Prefecture, where My Number medical card registrations were found to have been cancelled, the city government launched a program to correct the error. But a series of bugs prevented the program from working, forcing the city to rely on human supervision.

When new systems are implemented, mistakes often happen. Systems must be tested regularly until they are stable, leaving operators with no choice but to go step by step.

Government information is also insufficient. Although the Ministry of Health is aware of the issue of the "Mi Número" medical card, they do not want to inform the public. The digital agency is also not in a hurry to reveal problems related to the registration of bank accounts for receiving state benefits. When authorities avoid sharing information, not only are mistakes repeated, but public mistrust increases.

Diet plays an important role in this situation. The scope of use of the "My Number" identifier has been expanded, the personal identification functions of "My Number" cards will be used in various situations. Legislators are urged to submit periodic reports to check abuse of the identification system. We must also fight for transparency.

In Denmark, a digitally advanced country, digitization efforts began with administrative procedures for young digital natives before moving step-by-step to public understanding. Japan lacks careful consideration and strategy in this matter.

The Japanese government is considering using the My Number card as an identity card to open online bank accounts or subscribe to mobile phones. However, if these funds are still left to local governments and citizens, the system will not thrive. The government should carefully review its plans and, if necessary, revise them without hesitation.

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