November 22, 2023 Report from Information and Communications and Posts Administrative Council on Designation of Telecommunications Carriers that Should Handle Specified User Information in Appropriate Manner

Pursuant to Article 27-5 of the Telecommunications Business Act (Act No. 86 of December 25, 1984, hereafter referred to as the “Act”) and Article 22-2-19 of the Regulations for Enforcement of the Telecommunications Business Act (Ministerial Ordinance of MPT No. 25 of 1985, hereafter referred to as the “Regulations”), The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) sent an inquiry to the Information and Communications and Posts Administrative Council (chaired by AIDA Hitoshi, professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo) regarding the designation of telecommunications carriers that should handle specified user information appropriately. Today, MIC received a report that it is appropriate to designate the designation as proposed.
Based on this report, MIC will promptly designate telecommunications carriers that should handle specified user information properly with a Notice.

1. Background

MIC submitted a bill on the Act Partially Amending the Telecommunications Business Act to the 208th session of the Diet in order to make institutional development for the proper handling of information on users in light of changes in the environment surrounding the telecommunications business. After the passage of the said bill, the Act Partially Amending the Telecommunications Business Act (Act No. 70 of 2022, hereafter referred to as the “Amended Act”) was promulgated on Friday, June 17, 2012. Based on the Amended Act, MIC promulgated the Ministerial Ordinance to Partially Amend the Regulations for Enforcement of the Telecommunications Business Act (MIC Ordinance No. 2 of 2023, hereafter referred to as the “Amended Ministerial Ordinance”) and the Amended Act and Amended Ministerial Ordinance came into effect on Friday, June 16 of this year.
This matter is to designate Telecommunications Business Carriers that should handle specified user information properly by the Notice in accordance with the provisions of Article 27-5 of the Regulations of the Telecommunications Business Act and Article 22-2-19 of the Regulations for Enforcement of the Amended Act and the Amended Ordinance.

2. Points

With the enforcement of the Amended Act and the Amended Ministerial Ordinance, the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications will designate telecommunications carriers that should handle specified user information appropriately by the Notice, and the designated parties shall be obliged to formulate and notify information handling rules and policies and formulate and publish information handling policies.
A summary of this matter is shown in Attachments 1 and 2.

3. Future plans

MIC will promptly enact the Notice based on this response and other information.

4. How to obtain reference materials

The reference materials are available for inspection and distribution at the Second Telecommunications Consumer Policy Division, Telecommunications Business Department, Telecommunications Bureau, MIC (the 10th floor of the Second Building of the Central Common Government Office).

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  The published materials are in Japanese only.