[JTND] Banks Illegally Use National ID As Identification

[Matatabi Report <editor@matatabi.com>]

Mainichi Shinbun(a national newspaper) reports that some banks in
Japan have been using the eleven-digit National ID 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]

[key_privacy]
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