On 13 June 2022, the Amendment of the Telecommunications Business Act was enacted. The Amendment includes new regulations for the use of personally identifiable information and other information related to individuals, including cookies. Telecommunication service providers subject to the Amendment will be required to take measures based on the relevant ministerial orders to be enacted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in the near future.

In June 2022, the Personal Information Protection Commission, which is the regulatory authority for the protection of personal information in Japan, published its 2021 annual report. While the report does not supplement the law in any way, it does provide businesses with useful insights on the PPC’s thinking and position with respect to various types of processing of personal information under Japanese law.