Japan to trial My Number digital ID for entertainment tickets amid growing controversy

The government agency responsible for issuing the My Number digital ID card in Japan has announced a pilot to test the effectiveness of the credential for buyer authentication in the entertainment ticketing industry.

The announcement comes at a time when the government has been struggling to deal with growing discontent over its plan to expand the use of the My Number ID for different government services including medical insurance.

According to The Ticketing Business, the objective of the trial, which has been slated for later this month, is to determine if the card will streamline and improve digital ID verification and authentication in the entertainment industry, one of the most booming sectors of Japan’s economy.

The results of the test will tell if businesses can fully embrace the card for identification checks, the ID agency says.

The pilot will be conducted by the government ID-issuing authority in collaboration with Pia Corp, a major tickets sales agency, as well as other sector stakeholders.

Other aspects to be tested during the pilot include age verification for alcohol purchase at entertainment venues.

After this pilot, another phase of it is envisaged in the course of the fiscal year, which will check unfair practices related to ticket resale, the publication mentions.

While the government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is pushing for the widespread use and acceptance of the My Number card, there has been a pushback from citizens for many reasons including data privacy and security.

There have also been issues with government linking the My Number digital IDs to the profiles of wrong patients, for health insurance.

In July, a survey showed 76.6 percent of Japanese were opposed to the government’s plan to replace health insurance cards with My Number IDs.

Article Topics

biometric ticketing  |  digital ID  |  identity verification  |  Japan  |  My Number  |  pilot project