Here we go! Japan ends use of floppy disks in government offices

The battle was difficult, but Japan emerged victorious in the fight to eliminate floppy disks from government environments. From now on, all public bodies in the region use more modern storage media of data or become more dependent on cloud computing.

The information was confirmed by Minister Taro Kono, responsible for the country’s digital affairs office.We won the war against floppy disks on June 28th!“, explained the politician in a statement to the news agency Reuters.

In the last month, Kono managed to reduce 1,034 government operations which still depended on floppy disks, but were in the process of being phased out after the publication of new ordinances requesting modernization.

Only one case involving vehicle recycling was pending, but it was also resolved by the ministry.

Fight against floppy disks lasted two years

Floppy disks were used in Japan especially for sending documents and requests to government entities, both for individuals and regional corporations. Some sectors of society called for the change, but bureaucracy and traditional processes prevented the change.

Just like the use of fax to send documents, which also persists in the country, the floppy disk was increasingly criticized for its technological obsolescence. These devices, especially popular in the 1990s, have low storage capacity, are fragile compared to competitors such as external hard drives and require a specific reader that is not present in the vast majority of computers today.

The technology was officially considered obsolete globally in 2010, when Sony decided to close its production line of the devices.

In late 2021, Japan launched a new Ministry of Digital Affairs to help with a range of technology-related activities, including COVID-19 vaccinations. During this period, some regions have already stepped up efforts to begin eliminating floppy disks from everyday life.

Taro Kono, Japan’s Minister of Digital Affairs. (Image: Getty Images)Fonte:  GettyImages

The following year, Kono took office and quickly became a popular figure for his leadership in modernizing processes, including the ban on floppy disks and the use of CD-ROMs, and for his presence on social media. There is speculation that he will be one of the next candidates to run for prime minister in future elections.