Why Ichiro Furutachi Warns Against the My Number Driver’s License: Hidden Personal Info Inside the IC Chip
In the end, 60% have two cards!?
The integration of the My Number card and driver’s license, known as the “My Number Driver’s License,” began its operation on March 24.
In response, freelance announcer Ichiro Furutachi (70) quickly posted a video on his YouTube channel titled, “【Today’s Launch】 Don’t Use the My Number Driver’s License. The Interests Behind Driver’s Licenses.” He stated, “I want to speak out about this. I am skeptical about it,” and shared his opinion.
“Some time ago, a politician said, ‘There are major interests involved with driver’s licenses, so it’s impossible to integrate them with the My Number card.’ Since that has now been accomplished, I think that in itself is groundbreaking.”
This statement was made by Toshihiro Enami, a senior researcher at the Administrative Systems Research Institute and a specialist in My Number card technology.
The integration with the My Number card is optional, and the traditional driver’s license will still be valid. Therefore, those holding a driver’s license will be able to choose from three options for how to hold their license: “My Number Driver’s License only,” “Traditional Driver’s License only,” or “Both, with two cards.”
According to the National Police Agency, from March 24 to 31, the eight days after the integration procedure began, 117,589 people had already obtained the My Number Driver’s License. Of those, about 60% chose the two-card option with both the traditional driver’s license and the My Number Driver’s License.
“If you choose the My Number Driver’s License, when you move, you only need to report your address change to the local municipality, and you don’t need to notify the police. When renewing your license, you can take the course online via a computer or smartphone. I think many people will find that convenient,” (The following quotes are from Mr. Enami).
As for the benefits of the My Number Driver’s License, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department emphasizes two points that Mr. Enami also mentioned: “Address and name changes can be handled in one stop” and “License renewal courses can be taken online.” However, the one-stop service is only available for “My Number Driver’s License” holders, and online courses are available for “My Number Driver’s License only” and the “two-card” option.
The Digital Agency also highlights other benefits, stating that “My Number Driver’s License only” has the lowest fees for both new acquisitions and renewals and reduces the number of cards carried while driving.
“Government has issued various cards in the past. You might think it’s just a card, but issuing, managing, and operating them comes with costs. By consolidating the My Number card and the driver’s license into one, administrative costs will decrease. This, in turn, reduces wasteful use of tax money.”
Even though they are both integrations, the systems for the driver’s license and health insurance card are completely different
The My Number health insurance card faced numerous issues at the start of its operation, but the My Number driver’s license experienced a glitch with the “My Number driver’s license reading app” on its first day of operation, after which no major problems occurred.
“The My Number driver’s license directly inherits the system of the traditional driver’s license, making the system very simple. Unlike the complicated and mysterious setup of the My Number health insurance card, mistakes are less likely to happen.”
The Digital Agency’s website states, “By recording driver’s license information on the IC chip of the My Number card, the My Number card can be used as a driver’s license.” The information recorded on the IC chip of the My Number card includes driver’s license number, date of acquisition and validity period of the license, type of license, conditions such as limited to AT vehicles or requiring glasses, and photo.
The IC chip on the My Number card contains four apps, for example, the “Public Personal Authentication AP” stores the electronic certificate for signatures and user identification, and the “Card Surface Input Assistance AP” stores text data on details such as the address and name printed on the card.
In addition, the IC chip also has free space that administrative agencies and private companies can use to provide their own services.
“When the My Number card and the driver’s license are integrated, the driver’s license information such as the license number, validity period, and photo is recorded in a dedicated driver’s license app in the ‘free space’ of the My Number card’s IC chip.
On the other hand, the My Number health insurance card does not store any health insurance information on the IC chip of the My Number card. Instead, it uses the serial number of the user authentication certificate stored on the chip to retrieve the health insurance information from the central server.
Even though both are integrated with the My Number card, the systems for the driver’s license and the health insurance card are completely different.”
The My Number driver’s license has some significant benefits, with fewer concerns about issues arising. However, one potential downside is the time it takes to replace it if lost.
“If you lose your My Number driver’s license, that is, your My Number card, you must report the loss to the My Number General Free Dial and apply for reissuance at your local municipality. Even with the ‘Express Issuance and Distribution System’ that started last December, it seems that reissuance takes at least a week.
After the My Number card is reissued, you will need to have your driver’s license information re-recorded at a driver’s license center or similar location. In contrast, the traditional driver’s license can be reissued on the same day through the licensing office or center. For those who have only the My Number driver’s license and lose it, they would have to get a reissued traditional driver’s license if they need to drive immediately.”
The principle should be that important personal information is not included
The important thing to note is the expiration date of the My Number card. The expiration date for the My Number card itself is 10 years, and the electronic certificate on the IC chip is 5 years. Both must be renewed by the 10th and 5th birthdays after issuance. My Number cards have been issued since 2016, and it is estimated that 12 million people will need to renew their cards this year.
If someone eligible for renewal obtains the My Number driver’s license before renewing their My Number card, they will have to redo the integration process at the police station after the renewal. This is because, with the current system, when the My Number card is renewed, the driver’s license information recorded on the card is erased.
Therefore, the National Police Agency is urging, “People whose My Number card expiration is approaching should renew it before proceeding with the integration of the driver’s license.” A system where driver’s license information is automatically transferred during My Number card renewal is expected to be introduced by this fall.
So, it seems logical to start the integration process this fall.
“The government decided to start the My Number driver’s license system on March 24 this year, but this decision was made in October of last year. My guess is that they wanted to start it by the end of fiscal year 2024. It seems like the bureaucrats were in a rush to begin the operation before the system was fully prepared.”
More importantly, what Mr. Enami is concerned about is the ambiguity surrounding the handling of personal information on My Number cards.
“The government has previously stated that no personal information other than the information on the card itself is recorded on the My Number card’s IC chip. However, personal information is now recorded in the My Number driver’s license. It feels like the principle of no important personal information is being undermined with this integration.”
The websites of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and the Digital Agency also state, “The IC chip does not record highly sensitive information such as taxes or pensions.”
“The My Number card was originally intended to store only keys, with personal information kept on a central server. Ideally, driver’s license information should also be managed on the server. It is likely that the police requested this integration so they could operate it with tablet terminals, which is why the driver’s license information ended up on the IC chip of the My Number card.
As a result, if driver’s license information is stored on the My Number card’s IC chip, the government should explain its approach to handling personal information on My Number cards clearly to the public.”
Enami Toshihiro is a senior advisor at Administrative Systems Research Institute and chief researcher at Tateshina Information. He joined Fujitsu in 1981, where he developed systems for local governments such as the Basic Resident Register. Since 1995, he has conducted research at Fujitsu Research Institute on topics like e-government, e-administration, and My Number. He is the author of books such as “Digital Procedure Law and Changing Corporate Practices” (Nihon Horei) and “The Curse of My Number” (Aoyama Life Publishing).
Interview and text by： Sayuri Saito
