the Protection Law to ensure the necessary measures such as disclosure requirement rights. Also, each local government has to protect the rights and interests of local citizens and maintain their trust in the administration."
There is also the following explanation: "It is possible for a local government to establish regulations governing the management of individual information and documents relating to commission business. The minister in charge can guide and supervise the local government from the viewpoint of appropriate execution of commission business. The present regulation for protection of personal data governs the management of personal data relating to both commission business and government business. According to Article 26, each local government can regulate management of personal data relating to commission business."
5. Measures for protection of personal data in the network society and agenda for the future
The recent explosive popularization of the internet is leading to the rapid development of digital networks in every field of society, However, existing measures for the protection of personal data were established in the era of stand-alone OA equipment and they are not appropriate for the present network society. In addition, the present system is a dual system of the Law passed by the national government and regulations established by local governments. As a result each local government has to protect the rights and interests of is citizens within the range of the regulations for the protection of personal data.
On the other hand, some local governments that have established regulations have prohibited any external on-line connection of personal data files. For example, it is prohibited to connect up with a computer system or file of other agencies. Such restrictions deny the advantages and merits of the computer network itself. Such restrictions make it impossible to set up a home page for educational purposes in elementary schools, etc., because it is interpreted as setting up an external connection using the internet. Nowadays, it is essential for each local government to computerize the management of local public and private information. Accordingly it is necessary to appropriately managevarious information, such as observing the regulations governing use and supply of personal dada. Citizens should not be prohibited from making an on-line external connection, regardless of contents.
The Protection Law does not prohibit on-line connections, nor are there any laws in other foreign countries prohibiting conformity with information files in other agencies. The advanced information-oriented society has developed so rapidly that there is the risk of infringement of individual personal interests.For example, personal data can be collected in large quantity and over a wide range, it can be used or supplied (sometimes without the knowledge of the person concerned), or it can be leaked. It is very important that measures for the protection of personal data are established urgently in order to relieve the anxiety of citizens.
