Japanese Government Wants To Say Farewell To Floppy Disks

Japan’s digital minister has declared “war on floppy disks.” Taro Kano says nearly 2,000 government procedures require businesses to use outdated media.

Posting on Twitter, Taro Kono said the government will change rules so that businesses can file forms online rather than use floppy disks, data CDs and even minidiscs.

The BBC notes that despite Japan’s futuristic image and work on developing new gadgets, the country still uses technology in business that many countries consider outdated. That’s partly because of bureaucracy and partly because of an unwillingness to ditch systems that still work, however sub-optimally.

Speaking at a news conference, Kono also said he wants to “get rid of the fax machine”. That’s a long-running sore point between government and businesses, many of whom still think of faxes as a more secure method of communication than the internet.