The Reform of the Japanese Act on Protection of Personal Information. From the Practitioner’s Perspective

Abstract

The reformed Japanese Data Protection Act (“Act on Protection of Personal Information” – “APPI”) has come into effect on 30 May 2017 and sets new conditions for handling data in order to align with international practices and new technologies. This article summarizes the main changes to the APPI and shall provide an overview of practical measures business operators in Japan need to consider in light of the amendments. This concerns the scope of application of the APPI, data processing (in particular the transfer of personal data to recipients outside of Japan), legal compliance obligations as well as legal consequences of data breaches.