Laws to protect personal information took effect Friday, banning the public and private sectors from using information on a person other than for its intended purpose and from providing it to a third party without permission.
The full enforcement of the five related laws, which aim to ensure the appropriate use of personal information, obliges firms and administrative bodies to prevent personal-data leaks. Critics, however, say the laws fall short because they lack rules to punish information theft committed by individuals.
"In today's information age, I feel that the full enforcement of the laws is too late," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said Thursday.