Japan mandates app to ensure national ID cards aren't forged

Japan’s Digital Ministry unveiled a soon-to-be mandatory smartphone app that verifies My Number ID cards by comparing printed details with data on the card’s chip, aiming to curb counterfeit use and rebuild trust after previous data breaches, reader malfunctions, and database errors. The app logs confirmation timestamps without storing personal information and is slated for release in late August, supporting the government’s push to boost adoption and replace health insurance cards with My Number IDs.