A bill to let police remotely analyze data on smartphones passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday by a majority vote, part of Japan's push against anonymous and fluid crime groups that use encrypted messaging apps.
The revision to the Police Duties Execution Act is meant to let investigators detect crimes before they happen and prevent harm, Kyodo News reported. It requires officers to obtain a judge's warrant in advance.
The warrant requirement addresses concerns that examining a phone would infringe on the secrecy of communications guaranteed by the Constitution, as well as on privacy.
Encrypted apps at the center
Anonymous and fluid crime groups — outfits that recruit members online and regroup constantly — issue instructions through Signal and Telegram, according to the National Police Agency. The apps are also used to contact victims of special fraud, a category that includes impersonation scams.
Messages on the apps are encrypted and can be read only on the devices that sent and received them, which is why police want access to the handsets themselves.