Japan's ruling and opposition parties are discussing strengthening parliamentary oversight of government activities under a planned active cyberdefense law, sources said Wednesday.
The parties are considering specifying how a planned oversight committee to monitor such activities should report to the Diet, the country's parliament, in order to ensure the secrecy of communication guaranteed by the Constitution.
The possibility of modifying the bill, submitted to the Diet in February, is being considered in response to concerns among the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and others. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has shown understanding for such a change.
The modified bill is expected to include details of how the planned committee will report to the Diet about the government's acquisition of communications information and intrusions into computer systems to neutralize them in order to prevent cyberattacks.
If the ruling and opposition sides agree, the revised bill will be submitted as early as Friday. The Cabinet Committee of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber, is expected to take a vote on it within the day.
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