Japan PM pledges to fix problems with ID card rollout

BLOOMBERG

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida promised the public he would fix problems with the introduction of a national ID card that have damaged support for his government and raised concerns about data breaches.
Kishida told a news conference he is taking seriously the problems with what is known as the “My Number” card.
“We will work on the complete abolition of the current health insurance cards on the premise that measures to dispel public anxiety will be completed,” he said at the news conference. Earlier, he announced a team to make sure further errors don’t occur.
The ID cards will be a requirement for access to healthcare from autumn next year, effectively making them compulsory. They are already linked to tax and social security records, and some bank accounts.
Despite the data security problems, Kishida’s government has indicated there will be no change to the schedule for phasing out the existing health insurance cards.

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