March 31, 2022 Results of Appeal for Opinions on Draft Revisions to Guidelines for the Protection of Personal Information in the Postal Service Sector and Correspondence Mail Sector in Response to Amended Act on the Protection of Personal Information

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) made an appeal for opinions on draft revisions to Guidelines for the Protection of Personal Information in the Postal Service Sector and the Explanation of the Guidelines, as well as the Guidelines for the Protection of Personal Information in the Correspondence Mail Sector and the Explanation of the Guidelines (hereafter referred to as the "Guidelines and Explanations") for the period from Thursday, January 27 through Friday, February 25, 2022.
As a result, six opinions were submitted. Accordingly, MIC discloses the submitted opinions and its view on the opinions to the public.

1. Background and outline

Pursuant to the Act Partially Amending the Act on the Protection of Personal Information, etc. that was enacted in June 2020 (Act No. 44 of 2020) and Article 50 of the Act on the Arrangement of Related Laws for the Formation of a Digital Society that was enacted in May 2021 (Act No. 37 of 2021), the revision of the Act on the Protection of Personal Information will be enforced from April 2022. The Guidelines and Explanations also need to reflect this revision.
As these two Guidelines will be placed under the joint management of MIC and the Personal Information Protection Commission (PPC), the existing Guidelines for Protection of Personal Information in Postal Service Sector (MIC Notice No. 167 of 2017) and the Guidelines for Protection of Personal Information in Correspondence Mail Sector (MIC Notice No. 168 of 2017) will be replaced with the revisions to Guidelines for Protection of Personal Information in Postal Service Sector (PPC and MIC Notice No. 2 of 2022) and Guidelines for Protection of Personal Information in Correspondence Mail Sector (PPC and MIC Notice No. 3 of 2022).

2. Results of appeal for opinions

As a result of appeal for opinions from Thursday, January 27, through Friday, February 25, 2022, six opinions were submitted.