A bill that would let investigators remotely read the smartphone communications of crime-group leaders passed the House of Representatives and will reach the House of Councillors floor on Friday, NHK reported.
The legislation targets tokuryū — anonymous, fluid crime groups whose members rarely meet in person and often recruit through social media. Police have struggled to trace who is giving orders inside such groups.
The measure would allow authorities to capture a leader's phone communications from a distance rather than seizing the device. Debate in the upper chamber is set to begin on November 13.
Powers and limits
Remote monitoring of a device reaches messages and calls without the phone ever being in police hands. Civil liberties groups have long warned that tools built for organized crime can be turned on ordinary users once the legal threshold is set.
The bill's passage through the lower house sets up the final stage of the legislative process. If the upper house approves it, the remote-monitoring powers would take effect under Japanese law.