Tokyo, April 8, 2025 – The House of Representatives has approved a significant active cyber defense bill, which is now set to be reviewed by the House of Councilors. The legislation received bipartisan support from both the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) after amendments were made to uphold the constitutional guarantee of communication secrecy.
This bill aims to establish an active cyber defense system, with full implementation anticipated by 2027. Under the proposed framework, the government will gather and analyze communication data involving foreign nations and interactions between Japan and other countries, even during peacetime. In the event of detected threats of major cyberattacks, police and the Self-Defense Forces will be empowered to neutralize these threats, including the potential deletion of hostile software from the servers of suspected perpetrators.
To address concerns regarding personal privacy, the legislation stipulates that only technical data—such as internet protocol addresses and command strings—will be monitored, explicitly excluding the substantive content of communications like email bodies. A committee will be established under the Cabinet Office to oversee the operations of the active cyber defense system.
Additionally, the bill imposes strict penalties for government employees who mishandle related data, including potential imprisonment for up to four years or fines reaching ¥2 million (approximately $13,500). The revised legislation also incorporates a clause ensuring that the secrecy of communications will not be unreasonably restricted and includes a provision for a review of the active cyber defense system after three years.
The passage of this bill marks a crucial step in Japan’s efforts to bolster its cybersecurity measures amidst growing global cyber threats, while also striving to maintain a balance between national security and individual privacy rights.
