What is identity verification? (1)

"Identity verification" is a familiar and frequently used term, but its actual meaning seems to be poorly understood.

So, from now on, I would like to start a series in which we think about what identity verification is.

What is the “person”?

Now, let's get straight to the main topic. What do you all think about "identity" and "verification"? In these situations, the only thing you can do is look up the dictionary. According to the Daijisen Digital Dictionary, they are defined as follows:

Hon-nin [self]

One ThatA person who is directly related to something. A person involved. "I will check with..." "It depends on..."

Two The leader. The mastermind.
"The Castle - Hirano Shogen Nyudo"Taiheiki6.

When we say identity verification, we probably mean the first meaning of both "identity" and "verification." In other words, identity verification means:

Identification verification

ThatMake sure that the person is directly related to the matter.

In other words, identity verification is

1. "That."By clarifying
2. Confirm the certainty of the relationship with "that thing," and
3. Associating "that thing" with the body,

This refers to the process of "identity verification." This means that if the "thing" is not specified, then it is meaningless. In other words, there is no such thing as "general identity verification."

This is very important.

Consider the identity verification required when opening a bank account.

To open a bank account, you first fill out an application form with your name and other details. This is a bit technical, but the information you fill out yourself is called self-declared information or claimed identity. There should not be much incentive to lie here, so it should be reasonably reliable, but to further increase the reliability, it is effective to check documents written by a third party about the applicant. For example, a driver's license. The license contains the name, date of birth, address, etc., and since it is in a nationally standardized format, it is relatively easy to detect a forgery. So when you are shown a driver's license, first check whether it looks genuine, and then compare the details with the application. If they match, you can say with a high degree of certainty that a person with that name, date of birth, and address actually exists.

However, this alone does not yet allow us to know whether the person applying is the person they claim to be. In our words, this is a state in which the body is not connected to the information [1]. A facial photo is used to connect the two. The facial photo on the driver's license is compared to the face of the person applying to confirm that it is the same person. At this point, the application and the applicant are finally connected. This process is called "identity verification."

However, identity verification when opening a bank account is not done just for this purpose. Identity verification is also done from the perspective of the Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds.

The purpose of identity verification under the Criminal Proceeds Transfer Prevention Act is to prevent the laundering of criminal proceeds and the provision of funds to terrorists and other criminals. In this case, the "act" is the "transfer of criminal proceeds." Therefore, the identity verification should involve confirming that there is a "database of persons involved in criminal proceeds" behind the scenes, and that both the sender and the recipient of the funds[2] are not registered in it.

 Do I need to provide my name and address to verify my identity?

In all of the examples of identity verification mentioned so far, name and address were the items to be verified. In fact, in Japan, when we talk about "identity verification," it seems that it is often misunderstood as meaning obtaining the "four basic pieces of information[3]"[4]. However, this is incorrect. The conclusion is that name and address are not necessarily required for identity verification.

For example, let's say you order and buy a book at a bookstore. When you place your order, you pay the fee and receive a receipt. When the book arrives, you use that receipt to pick it up. Identity verification in this case means making sure that the person who ordered and paid for the book is the same person who has come to pick it up. To do this, it is enough to simply present the receipt. Neither your name nor your address is required. In this case, "application" means "I am the recipient of the book," and the "receipt" is enough to prove that.

In addition, from the perspective of the above-mentioned "Criminal Proceeds Transfer Prevention Act," if the blacklist database was managed by, for example, "social security number," identity verification would only require checking a facial photo and taxpayer identification number, and would not require address or even name. [5]

The reason why "real name" and "address" are required for identity verification at city halls and other institutions is because the keys to the city hall database, that is, the data compared during "identity verification," are "real name" and "address." In other words, the information contained in the "document" to be compared happens to be the four basic pieces of information.

Identity verification does not necessarily require an address or real name. The type of information required depends on what you are trying to verify about the "owner of the body."

[1] It's something like a link between bit and meat.

[2] The recipient is especially important.

[3] Name, gender, date of birth, and address.

[4] As explained above, the task of identity verification involves cross-checking the information acquired with information obtained through other channels. Therefore, merely asking the individual or their agent for these four pieces of information does not constitute identity verification.