Japan mulls requiring organizations to report plans to share sensitive data
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Japanese government plans to revise an economic security law to require companies and other entities holding big data to notify t
Japan is considering a revision to its economic security law that would require companies and organizations to report their intentions to share sensitive personal data with third parties, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The government aims to introduce a bill for the change during the next year's regular Diet session, driven by fears that advanced artificial intelligence could enable hostile foreign actors to exploit such information, potentially compromising national security.
Sensitive personal information encompasses medical records, location data, biometric data like fingerprints and facial recognition, genetic information, and financial transaction records. The reporting requirement would depend on the volume of data an organization possesses and could potentially apply to hundreds of entities, including banks and hospitals.
In addition to the reporting mandate, the government is also contemplating a system to evaluate, based on national security concerns, whether sharing the data is warranted. An expert panel is set to convene later this month to discuss the proposed system, including penalties for those who evade reporting, before the planned submission of a bill to parliament in the following year.
The panel is expected to deliberate on the regulation of data centers and cloud service providers, aiming to strike a balance between safeguarding national security and not unduly impeding the business operations of these entities.
The rapid advancement of generative AI has transformed personal data into a strategic resource with both economic and national security implications. Large datasets may contain information that could be employed for surveillance or blackmail, affecting individuals involved in decision-making processes. Enacted in 2022, the Economic Security Promotion Law encompasses measures to foster the development of key technologies, bolster supply chains, and conduct pre-screening of equipment utilized by companies operating critical infrastructure.
Written by urgent.news from The Mainichi's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
