Privacy safeguards needed to help fuel AI growth in Japan, panel chair says
In a recent interview, Satoru Tezuka, who assumed the role of commission chair in May, said that the country "should introduce" a system that includes fines for profits gained through the misuse of personal information, as part of a triennial revision of the personal information protection law.
The law revision was postponed during this year's ordinary parliamentary session amid strong opposition from business circles toward a system involving fines.
"The word 'fine' makes businesses cautious, but our planned system is intended to crack down on malicious law violators and would not affect diligent business operators," Tezuka said.
"We are proposing making personal information available without consent in principal if it is used for AI development, and for this, we need to ensure proper governance among business operators," he said.
Noting that the world is changing with the emergence of AI, the commission chair said, "AI is like a living thing, so we need to feed it data and let it grow."
"If personal information is included in such data, the current law requires people's consent in advance in some cases," he pointed out, adding that this requirement has hindered technological development.
The personal information protection law is "essential in ensuring the healthy development of data use," Tezuka said.
At the same time, he stressed that Japan cannot compete with other countries in AI development under the current law. Among the Group of Seven major democracies, only Japan and Canada have not introduced a system involving monetary fines, he said.
Another focal point of the law revision is child protection. "Children's judgment is not on the same level as adults," Tezuka said. "It's important to develop systems and technologies on the assumption that they are used by children."
"We aim to submit (a bill to revise the law) soon, but we don't have a specific schedule in mind," Tezuka said.
"The commission had previously been headed mainly by legal experts, but I was appointed this time as someone who specializes in technology, because what is needed now is a data strategy," he emphasized.
"I think the government's policy on personal information protection has entered a new stage," Tezuka said. "It is my duty to ensure coherence between data use and protection, and to work out the details (of the law revision)."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kyodo News
5 hours ago
- Kyodo News
SDF request led to nuclear threat scenario in Japan-U.S. exercise
TOKYO - The Japanese Self-Defense Forces strongly urged the U.S. military during a joint command post exercise last year to mirror any nuclear threat made by China with one of its own, government sources said Sunday. The United States ultimately complied with the request in the simulation exercise that envisioned a potential invasion of Taiwan by Beijing, raising concerns that Japan's push to invoke nuclear deterrence could exacerbate tensions between the United States and China. The request, the first of its kind in a Japan-U.S. joint exercise, was based on Japan's policy of reliance on the U.S. nuclear umbrella for protection, suggesting that both Japanese government and SDF officials see Chinese nuclear saber-rattling as a real possibility in the event of a Taiwan contingency. The Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment. Japan and the United States named China as a hypothetical enemy for the first time in the computer simulation exercise "Keen Edge" in February last year. During the exercise, the U.S. Navy set up temporary bases in the Nansei island chain in the Kagoshima and Okinawa prefectures in the initial stages of a Taiwan contingency, with the SDF providing logistical support. Later in the drill, the scenario assumed that China hinted at the use of nuclear weapons against the United States and Japan, but the U.S. side initially did not take any measures due to concerns over escalating the situation further, according to the sources. Adm. John Aquilino, commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, ultimately acquiesced to repeated requests by Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida, chief of the SDF Joint Staff, for "the United States to counter with nuclear threats to defend Japan." Neither Beijing nor Washington used nuclear arms in the simulation. The two countries announced last December their first guidelines on "extended deterrence," often described as the U.S.'s commitment to using its full range of nuclear and conventional capabilities to defend Japan amid China's growing military activities and North Korea's missile and nuclear development.
Japan Times
6 hours ago
- Japan Times
China detained activist-singer, says Tibetan exile government
A young Tibetan singer and activist has been detained by Chinese authorities, the India-based Central Tibetan Administration said. Tzukte, popularly known as Asang, was taken into custody sometime in early July after he sang a song eulogizing Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, the CTA said in a statement Saturday. The CTA, which functions as a government-in-exile but is not officially recognized by any country, said the arrest was "part of Beijing's broader campaign to suppress Tibetan voices, specially Tibetan artists and writers". China considers Tibet an inalienable part of its territory and has ruled the region with an iron fist since its troops crushed an uprising for autonomy in 1959. Chinese authorities did not respond to a request for comment. "His detention, without charge or information on his whereabouts, violates international human rights norms and underscores China's ongoing assault on freedom of expression, cultural rights, and religious belief in Tibet," the CTA said. Asang, who is in his twenties, is a student of Gebe, a prominent Tibetan singer supporting the Tibetan cause through his music. Earlier this year, Asang reportedly appeared in public in the Ngawa region of Sichuan province with the word "Tibet" written on his forehead — a gesture that drew widespread praise online but also intensified scrutiny from officials. Rights activists have regularly voiced alarm at Beijing's alleged efforts to erase cultural and religious identity in Tibet.
Japan Times
9 hours ago
- Japan Times
Use of deceased's person's savings for cremation allowed without heirs' consent
The government has notified municipalities and financial institutions that they are now allowed to use the savings of deceased people to cover burial or cremation fees without their heirs' consent, sources said. This is aimed at reducing the financial burden on municipalities, which have shouldered burial or cremation costs when a deceased person's savings deposits could not be used. The measure comes as the number of people dying alone increases. Reflecting lifestyle changes and other circumstances, the proportion of single-person households in Japan rose from 25.6% in 1995 to 38.0% in 2020. Among elderly people age 65 and over, the share of such households jumped from 5.0% to 12.1%. Over 105,000 people died with no one to take care of their remains between April 2018 and October 2021, according to the internal affairs ministry. Under the current law, burial or cremation costs for people who die alone will be paid using their savings deposits, and any shortfalls will be covered by municipalities. However, whether the deceased person's deposits could be used has depended on coordination between municipalities and financial institutions. Municipalities have been denied access to savings accounts in some cases because there were no heirs, and they were required to submit various documents in other cases. In light of this situation, the welfare ministry has revised the guidelines for handling money left by people who died alone, including a new document format for municipalities to submit to financial institutions. The revised guidelines also state that the heirs' consent is not necessary to withdraw the deceased's deposits to pay burial or cremation fees. The central government has been considering this issue since 34 local governments asked for a clarification of related rules in 2024 as part of decentralization reform.
