08-17-2002, 12:23 PM
Kanagawa refuses data on city residents
Law makes no exception for Yokohama permitting people to opt out
YOKOHAMA (Kyodo) The Kanagawa Prefectural Government will refuse to accept resident registry data from the city of Yokohama because of its policy of allowing citizens to opt out of the system, prefectural government sources said Saturday.
The move would exclude the nation's largest municipality from the resident registry network. Launched Aug. 5, the network allows different levels of government to share citizens' personal data.
The prefectural government has to refuse the data because the Basic Resident Registration Law makes no exception for Yokohama's policy, one official said.
The Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications has argued that Yokohama's optional participation is illegal.
On Aug. 7, the ministry told the Kanagawa prefectural and Yokohama city governments the law requires that identification data from all citizens be provided to governors, the sources said.
But a Yokohama city official said the central government's argument is not fully supported.
"The public management ministry's view, I believe, was meant to keep other municipalities from following suit," the official said.
The official indicated the city's stance on the issue is unwavering, but said the city is willing to hold talks with the prefectural government.
Yokohama, with a population of about 3.45 million, plans to send every household in the city letters containing an 11-digit identification code for each resident by the end of this month.
But residents who do not want to participate in the network can fill in an application form and return it to the city government.
On Aug. 2, Yokohama Mayor Hiroshi Nakada said his city would adopt the optional participation policy, citing residents' concerns over the security of their personal data on the network.
The mayor said the policy was an "emergency measure to fulfill responsibilities for both those hoping to be included and others who are worried about the system."
Apart from Yokohama, three other municipalities have opted out of the network due to worries over information leaks. They are the town of Yamatsuri in Fukushima Prefecture, the city of Kokubunji in western Tokyo and Tokyo's Suginami Ward.
The towns of Futami and Obata, both in Mie Prefecture, connected to the registry network Aug. 9, four days after its launch. They have set their own rules for dealing with security problems.
The registry network facilitates the sharing of citizens' personal information -- including ID numbers, names, addresses and birth dates -- among the central, prefectural and municipal governments.
The Japan Times: Aug. 18, 2002
(C) All rights reserved
Law makes no exception for Yokohama permitting people to opt out
YOKOHAMA (Kyodo) The Kanagawa Prefectural Government will refuse to accept resident registry data from the city of Yokohama because of its policy of allowing citizens to opt out of the system, prefectural government sources said Saturday.
The move would exclude the nation's largest municipality from the resident registry network. Launched Aug. 5, the network allows different levels of government to share citizens' personal data.
The prefectural government has to refuse the data because the Basic Resident Registration Law makes no exception for Yokohama's policy, one official said.
The Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications has argued that Yokohama's optional participation is illegal.
On Aug. 7, the ministry told the Kanagawa prefectural and Yokohama city governments the law requires that identification data from all citizens be provided to governors, the sources said.
But a Yokohama city official said the central government's argument is not fully supported.
"The public management ministry's view, I believe, was meant to keep other municipalities from following suit," the official said.
The official indicated the city's stance on the issue is unwavering, but said the city is willing to hold talks with the prefectural government.
Yokohama, with a population of about 3.45 million, plans to send every household in the city letters containing an 11-digit identification code for each resident by the end of this month.
But residents who do not want to participate in the network can fill in an application form and return it to the city government.
On Aug. 2, Yokohama Mayor Hiroshi Nakada said his city would adopt the optional participation policy, citing residents' concerns over the security of their personal data on the network.
The mayor said the policy was an "emergency measure to fulfill responsibilities for both those hoping to be included and others who are worried about the system."
Apart from Yokohama, three other municipalities have opted out of the network due to worries over information leaks. They are the town of Yamatsuri in Fukushima Prefecture, the city of Kokubunji in western Tokyo and Tokyo's Suginami Ward.
The towns of Futami and Obata, both in Mie Prefecture, connected to the registry network Aug. 9, four days after its launch. They have set their own rules for dealing with security problems.
The registry network facilitates the sharing of citizens' personal information -- including ID numbers, names, addresses and birth dates -- among the central, prefectural and municipal governments.
The Japan Times: Aug. 18, 2002
(C) All rights reserved