Japan's government has traced a run of personal data leaks to companies' own weak security, yet its remedy leans on blocking that would curb the rights of internet users who did nothing wrong, an Asahi Shimbun editorial argues.
Leaks of personal information from unauthorized access have followed one another in succession. In an emergency package released on the 6th, the government attributed the cause to companies' "basic countermeasures" falling short.
The package points to known vulnerabilities left unpatched, misconfigured systems and loose oversight of subcontractors. If that is the diagnosis, the first step should be stricter safety management and tougher penalties for violations.
Instead, the package contents stop at warnings to companies and revisions to guidelines. No strengthening of sanctions is included. What does appear is a set of measures that push the bill onto the public.
The government widens its own authority to respond to attacks, and narrows citizens' rights by the same amount. The editorial asks whether the diagnosis and the prescription have come apart.
Blocking and the secrecy of communications
The clearest example is the study of blocking, which would have telecom carriers cut off communications to sites. Blocking cannot work unless it intrudes on the secrecy of communications for every internet user.
Even if corporate failures caused the leaks, the cleanup would hand over the rights of people who bear no responsibility. The internal affairs ministry has set up a meeting to examine the legal issues around blocking as a data-leak countermeasure.
The editorial closes on the question of whether such a strong measure can be justified, and how much it would actually achieve.