New Woes for Juki Net

In the latest setback for the Japanese Government's efforts to implement Juki Net -- the national data network that links Japanese citizens' personal data at local residency registries, such as a person's name, sex, address and date of birth, to an 11-digit identification number assigned to every Japanese citizen -- a three-judge panel of the Osaka High Court declared on November 30 that the entry of personal data into Juki Net without residents' consent was unconstitutional. The court directed three Osaka Prefecture municipalities that were defendants in the case "to remove data on four of their residents from Juki Net." The mayor of one municipality in indicated that he supported and would accept the court's decision, but two other municipalities reportedly plan to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. Since 2002, several municipalities have opposed participation in Juki Net because of concerns about the risk of data leaks.