September 11, 2020 Correction Order, etc. to Provigent, Ltd. in Violation of Act on Identification, etc. by Mobile Voice Communications Carriers of their Subscribers, etc. and for Prevention of Improper Use of Mobile Voice Communications Services

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) has today issued a correction order based on the provisions of Paragraph 2, Article 15 of the Act on Identification, etc. by Mobile Voice Communications Carriers of their Subscribers, etc. (Act No. 31 of 2005) to Provigent, Ltd. (Tokyo’s Minato Ward) for its deeds in violation of the said Act.
Furthermore, MIC has instructed SoftBank Corp. (Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward), a company that supervises Provigent, Ltd., to ensure responsible supervision over their intermediaries and agents. MIC has given the same instructions to Member’s Mobile Inc. (Tokyo’s Toshima Ward) and Right Communication Inc. (Osaka, Osaka Prefecture), which are recommissioning their business operations, including contract conclusion, to Provigent, Ltd.

Overview of the case and details of the measures

The law requires that the subscriber’s identities be confirmed when a new mobile phone contract is made.
Provigent, Ltd. was found to have concluded a total of 61 line contracts from September 2013 through August 2018 without confirming the subscribers’ identities in the manner prescribed by the law. Its deed violated the provisions of Article 3, Paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Act, which shall be applied mutatis mutandis in place of Article 6, Paragraph 3 of the Act.
For this reason, MIC has ordered Provigent, Ltd. on September 11, 2020, to correct the violation under Article 15, Paragraph 2 of the Act.
Simultaneously, MIC has instructed SoftBank Corp., Member’s Mobile Inc., and Right Communication Inc. to thoroughly supervise their intermediaries and agents in light of their dealers’ violation of laws and regulations.
MIC will continue strictly enforcing the law to prevent unauthorized use of mobile phones for crimes such as wire fraud.