A study group examining legal issues in the information technology era was launched Saturday in Tokyo, with more than 160 individuals and organizations from academia, business and government circles participating.
The Information Network Law Association held its first meeting at Meiji University in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward and elected Kenji Naemura, a professor at Keio University, to lead the group.
Participants included academics, lawyers, IT workers and bureaucrats from the Public Management, Home Affairs and Posts and Telecommunications Ministry as well as the National Police Agency.
The group will establish research divisions to study several themes, such as information security and laws. It will also set up a number of subgroups to discuss more specific issues, including laws to protect private information and methods to combat cybercrime.
The group said it plans to make proposals to the government.