The Development of Japanese Data Protection

Abstract

In 2003, Japan enacted its first private‐sector data protection legislation, complementing the concurrent update of the public‐sector regulations. The publicly stated goal of the Japanese government was to support trade with Europe by providing suitably strong protection to qualify for European data‐export approval. In this paper we examine the internal social and political pressures that led to the adoption of apparently strong private‐sector data protection, despite prior long resistance to such a move. The pressures we have identified include direct and indirect effects of Japanese economic difficulties since the early 1990s, media pressure to update public‐sector rules because of the introduction of Juki Net, and similar media pressure to apply similar rules to the private sector. We also examine the role that the technology of kanji input systems played on the lack of urgency in demands for private‐sector data protection until 2000.

The future of video analytics for surveillance and its ethical implications

“…In Japan, CCTV is regulated only under the anyway very weak data protection legislation (Adams et al, 2010). While security system installation and operation service providers advise clients to follow local city guidelines on CCTV usage within their premises (Adams et al, 2012) such guidelines are only designed to cover the CCTV operations of the authorities themselves.…”

Editorial

“…In the next article, Adams et al (2010) look at a very different topic: the development of data protection policy in Japan, providing fascinating insight into the under-studied world of Japanese administration and information systems and the various path dependencies at work. Historically, the Japanese Government has strongly resisted moves toward private sector data protection, which the authors show has much to do with the technology of kanji input systems prior to the 2000s, as well as a number of other pressures, including widespread use of the Internet and the government network Juki-net.…”