Live streaming announcements
We will be doing a YouTube Live broadcast for the first time in a while starting at 7pm on July 28th.
The topics covered are the following public comments issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and the Financial Services Agency, as well as other general ID-related news.
【references】
- Call for opinions on the "Interim Summary of Issues (Draft) of the Study Group on the Method of Restricting Access to Online Casinos"
- Partial Revision of the "Comprehensive Guidelines for Supervision of Financial Instruments Business Operators, etc." (Draft)(← Responding to so-called securities fraud)
- Draft report on the improvement of the usage environment to address various issues surrounding the use of ICT services
Please join us.
[Correction of statements made during the live broadcast]
1:44:20At this point, I was saying that Google's ZKP implementation seems to be much faster than BBS, but I was mistaken and meant JWP+SNARK, not BBS. I sincerely apologize.
2025-08-08 Addendum
Below is the table of contents and an outline extracted by AI. For your reference.
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:26 Regarding the Study Group on Access Restrictions for Online Casinos
00:12:11 History and current discussion of the blocking issue
00:20:17 Details of the interim summary of issues and interesting points
00:40:23 Proposed revisions to the Financial Services Agency's supervisory guidelines
00:57:44 Draft report on the development of an environment for using ICT services
01:07:30 Other public comments and the importance of measures for the elderly
01:19:20 Identity-related news (January-March)
01:47:36 Identity-related news (January-March)
要約
In this video, Sakimura and Hayashi discuss several issues currently open for public comment, including the nature of online casino access prevention, revisions to the Financial Services Agency's supervisory guidelines, and a draft report on the development of an ICT service usage environment. First, Hayashi provided a detailed explanation of the interim summary of the study group's discussions on online casino access prevention, highlighting the issues surrounding blocking and technical challenges. Next, Sakimura explained the proposed revisions to the Financial Services Agency's supervisory guidelines and emphasized the importance of phishing-resistant authentication methods. Furthermore, they touched on the draft report on the development of an ICT service usage environment and discussed the appropriateness of communication log storage. In the second half of the video, Sakimura reviewed identity-related news from the past seven months, covering a wide range of topics, including the incorporation of My Number cards on smartphones, trends in digital IDs around the world, and challenges with AI-based identity verification. Throughout the video, the importance of balancing the security and convenience of digital identities and protecting privacy was emphasized.
chapter
About the Study Group on Access Restrictions for Online Casinos
Mr. Hayashi explained the interim summary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' (MIC) study group's discussion on the nature of access restrictions related to online casinos. This issue is open for public comment until August 8th. Mr. Hayashi based his explanation on materials presented on this topic at the MyDataJAPAN15 event, emphasizing that it is an important issue related to internet freedom. He pointed out that public comments using a large number of standardized texts are ineffective and emphasized the importance of submitting appropriate comments. He also expressed concern that, compared to the blocking discussions surrounding the 2025 pirated site (Mangamura) issue, appropriate discussions have been held this time, but that they have not received much attention. Mr. Hayashi emphasized the importance of submitting public comments, as this is an important issue related to internet freedom and privacy.
History and current discussion of the blocking issue
Mr. Hayashi explained the history of the blocking issue, dividing it into three stages: the blocking of child pornography around 2005, the piracy site issue around 2018, and the current discussion targeting online casinos. He praised the current interim summary for its excellent summary, neutrality, and thoroughness. He cited the references of Iba Nonoguchi and Tateishi of the Internet Content Safety Association as useful references, and explained the technical and legal challenges of blocking. He particularly noted that blocking to combat child pornography costs 3 million yen per year, that blocking itself may be illegal, and that network engineers are at risk of lawsuits. Mr. Hayashi stated that, in his personal opinion, blocking is overkill for the online casino issue and is not an optimal solution that takes away freedom of communication.
Details and interesting points of the interim summary of issues
Mr. Hayashi provided a detailed explanation of the interim summary of issues. The document is not long, at 93 pages, with a table of contents of only seven pages. It outlines the background, the current state of online casinos, the need for a comprehensive response, and how to prevent access. Particularly interesting points were the revision of the Basic Plan for Promoting Measures Against Gambling Addiction this year, which included measures for online casinos for the first time, and the passage of a bill amending the Basic Act on Measures Against Gambling Addiction in this Diet session, which prohibits the establishment and operation of online casino sites and the dissemination of misleading information. The document also touched on the possibility of restricting credit card usage as a means of preventing payments and the difficulty of technologically preventing access. Regarding the introduction of examples from France and the United Kingdom, Mr. Hayashi questioned whether it was necessary to imitate the example of less developed countries with an internet presence.
Regarding the proposed revision of the Financial Services Agency's supervisory guidelines
Mr. Sakimura explained the Financial Services Agency's proposed partial revision of the Comprehensive Supervision Guidelines for Financial Instruments Business Operators, etc. The deadline for submission of this proposal is August 8th, and its main content calls for the introduction of phishing-resistant authentication methods. Referring to his own blog, Mr. Sakimura explained why one-time passwords (including SMS authentication) cannot prevent phishing attacks, and why passkeys are phishing-resistant. He also pointed out that securities firms that do not provide APIs may have difficulty integrating with portfolio management software. He suggested that in the short term, a possible approach would be to allow only references via OTP and require phishing-resistant authentication when trading. Mr. Hayashi pointed out the need to consider countermeasures based on the assumption that humans are easily deceived, and stressed the need for the introduction of mechanisms such as APIs. While Mr. Sakimura acknowledged that passkeys are not a silver bullet, he emphasized their effectiveness as a phishing countermeasure.
Draft report on the development of an environment for using ICT services
Mr. Sakimura explained the draft report on the development of an environment for using ICT services. The deadline for submission of this draft report is August 8th. Chaired by Professor Shishido, the committee members include Professor Mori, Professor Tatsuhiko Yamamotoshima, and Mr. Otani. The report is lengthy at 4 pages, but it outlines measures to prevent improper use, user information, and the proper storage of communication logs. From an identity-related perspective, Mr. Sakimura expressed interest in the second section, which covers mobile phone identity verification rules, corporate agents, and reliance on identity verification results from other companies. Mr. Hayashi pointed out that this report also focuses on countermeasures for the victim side, such as crime prevention and fraud prevention. Mr. Sakimura introduced the proposed revision of guidelines in the working group section on the proper storage of communication logs and emphasized the importance of commenting on these.
Other public comments and the importance of measures for the elderly
Sakimura also touched on the "Draft Report of the Study Group on the Realization of a Safe and Secure Metaverse" and discussed the issue of identity verification within the metaverse. Hayashi pointed out that while much discussion is focused on protecting children and minors, measures for the elderly are an urgent issue. While defining cognitive issues among the elderly is difficult and could lead to discrimination, he said this discussion should not be avoided. Sakimura introduced Professor Kato of Toyo University's concerns about the potential for misuse of "vulnerable filtering" and "vulnerable lists," stressing the need for careful consideration. He also touched on age verification technology, explaining that in addition to simple age verification, there are methods for combining it with J-Station technology, which estimates age based on behavior and facial features.
Identity News (January-March)
Mr. Sakimura introduced identity-related news from the past seven months. January news included the Digital Agency's launch of a database of 7 million corporate information, Google's announcement regarding fingerprinting as an alternative to third-party cookies, and issues with Tokyo's My Number Card app identity verification. February saw issues such as preventing ticket resales with My Number Cards, an update to Google's password manager, and the digitalization of national qualification registration procedures. March saw reports on the launch of "no-writing counters" in Doshi Village, Yamanashi Prefecture, and Osaka City, the passage of the Philippines' digital verification service bill by regulatory committee, and efforts to unify My Number cards. He also discussed the issue of malicious extensions masquerading as password managers to steal confidential information.
Identity News (January-March)
Mr. Sakimura presented news from April to July. April included the release of a driver's license reading app and the use of My Number to shorten inheritance procedures. In May, NEC and Waseda University began joint research aimed at implementing DID and VC, and the mandatory provision of address information to prevent fraud in international remittances was being considered. In June, the My Number Card became available for iPhone use, and Rakuten launched an account opening service using My Number Cards. In July, the growing problem of AI-based fraud and impersonation was reported, highlighting the growing damage caused by voice phishing and examples of AI-based identity verification. Other topics discussed included the launch of My Number health insurance cards for emergency use and Australia's strengthened digital ID authentication. Mr. Hayashi and Mr. Sakimura expressed concern that appropriate regulations and countermeasures are not keeping pace with the rapid development of AI.