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| The Japanese government officially stopped using floopy disks for data storage marking a significant modernization step. TheDigital Agency removed 1034 regulations related to floppy disks with Digital Minister Toro Kono leading the charge established in 2021 the agency aims to update government technology, addressing issues like slow digital ID rollouts and outdated document archiving. |
INFOPINTAR - ON June 28, 2024, the Japanese goverment officially ceased using floppy disks for data storage in all goverment systems marking a significant step in modernizing its bureaucracy.
The Digital Agency Of Japan has eliminated 1034 regulations concorning the use of floppy disks leaving only one regulation related to recycling the technology, "We have won the war against floppy disks June 28! " declared Digital Minister Taro Kono.
Taro Kono, known for his vocal stance on eliminating analog technologies like fax machines from government use boasts 2.5 million followers on social media platform X. Before becoming the Digital Minister in 2022 he served as the head of the defense and foreign ministries and led the COVID 19 vaccination campaign.
The Digital Agency was established in 2021 during the COVID19 pandemic when it became clear that the government still relied heavily on outdated technologies and document still relied heavily on outdated technologies and document archiving. Despite effort to digitize, Japan faced numerous challenges, including the faiture of a contact tracing app and the slow rollout of the goverments my number digital ID cards.
The 3-5 inch floopy disk was once a staple of PC software until the 1990s, with 5 billion units used in 1996. However, floopy disk couldnt keep up with the demands of growing software sizes and Sony one of the largest producers stopped making 3-5 inch floopy disks in 2011.