Japan’s parliament recently passed legislation on Friday, ushering in a significant amendment to the My Number law that enables personal data stored on My Number social security and taxation identification cards to be securely saved on smartphones. This landmark revision is slated to come into effect within a year following its promulgation.
Under the revised law, My Number cardholders will have the option to store essential identification details such as their names, addresses, and facial photographs directly on their smartphones. This development is poised to revolutionize the user experience, offering enhanced convenience for a myriad of transactions, including online brokerage account openings and age verification processes while shopping, all facilitated through smartphone technology.
My Number cards serve as comprehensive certificates containing vital personal information such as name, address, date of birth, and gender. Additionally, they function as electronic verification credentials, a feature that has been available to Android smartphone users since May of the previous year. With the impending implementation of this amendment, iPhone users can also avail themselves of these functionalities starting from the forthcoming spring season.
In a progressive move towards inclusivity and sensitivity, the legislation includes a provision to eliminate gender identification from the visible information displayed on My Number cards. This decision comes in response to advocacy efforts aimed at accommodating sexual minorities. While gender information will no longer be printed on the surface of newly issued cards, slated for introduction as early as 2026, it will remain securely stored within the cards’ integrated circuit (IC) chips, ensuring data integrity and privacy.
This legislative milestone reflects Japan’s commitment to embracing technological advancements while upholding principles of inclusivity and data security. By harnessing the capabilities of smartphones to streamline identity verification processes, the amended My Number law is poised to usher in a new era of convenience and accessibility for cardholders across the nation.