(Japanese)
April 20, 2025
JCA-NET is a voluntary organization whose main activities are conducted on the Internet. Through the provision of Internet services, JCA-NET aims to support the activities of citizens working on various issues and to collaborate with movements around the world related to peace, economic and social justice, human rights, the environment, and sustainability. For us, freedom of information and the right to privacy and secure communications that support this freedom are of the utmost importance in supporting these activities. Violations of these rights are a matter of life and death for our activities.
We refer to the bill called the “Cyber Response Capabilities Enhancement Bill and Related Bills” by the government as the “Cyber Espionage and Cyber Attack Bill” (hereinafter referred to as “the bill”). The bill proposes a legal framework for private companies to cooperate with the government in the collection of communication data through public-private partnerships, which could effectively oblige telecommunications carriers to provide user communication data to the government. Various excuses have been made, such as that it is not mandatory and that the content of communications will not be collected, but these excuses have no technical basis or technical safeguards. Once introduced, information sharing between the public and private sectors will become established as a system and will serve as a basis for further deterioration in the future. If this happens, it is clear that private companies will be effectively forced to provide user communication data to the government.
JCA-NET entrusts the Internet services of its members to the Private Organization Electronic Media (POEM), a private-sector electronic information network. POEM is a private telecommunications carrier that understands the purpose of JCA-NET's movement and has supported JCA-NET's Internet services for many years. This bill will place a heavy burden on conscientious telecommunications carriers that respect the privacy rights of users. JCA-NET does not want POEM to be forced to provide communication data as required by this bill or to be compelled to cooperate with the government. If the government makes unreasonable demands on POEM, JCA-NET will not remain silent and allow the government to violate the rights of its member users.
In general, the aim of this bill is to make it easier for the government to collect communication data obtained by telecommunications carriers and other entities. This bill intends to legalize acts that are currently illegal under existing telecommunications laws. Furthermore, the government's information gathering activities will remain secret from users. That is why we call this bill the “cyber espionage bill.” Even if certain types of communication data are not included in this bill or are not covered by it, a series of legal revisions that will likely be repeated after the bill is enacted will legalize the collection of more and more communication data, leading to further de facto coercive cooperation measures against the private sector.
Additionally, JCA-NET, as a Japanese affiliate of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), collaborates with numerous international internet rights organizations. This bill contains provisions that would enable spying activities abroad. JCA-NET cannot accept a bill that would allow the Japanese government to collect information on our allies.
We appeal to all telecommunications carriers. Please raise your voices against this bill. Telecommunications carriers must firmly commit to protecting users' privacy rights and the constitutionally guaranteed right to privacy of communications. And please express your opposition to the bill. While the severity of cyberattacks has been repeatedly emphasized in the deliberations on this bill, this cannot be used as a justification to prioritize the security of cyberattacks over users' privacy rights and the right to privacy of communications.
Finally, we reiterate that this bill would significantly undermine the core activities of JCA-NET and should be withdrawn. We also strongly urge the opposition parties that supported the bill in the House of Representatives to reconsider their position.
JCA-NET Board of Directors