The Lower House in Japan recently approved a significant bill that expands the security clearance system to include economic security information as a critical area that must be protected. This bill, passed by the ruling coalition alongside opposition parties, will mandate private-sector individuals, including company employees, to undergo government background checks to handle designated economic security information that could impact the nation's security.
The legislation, originally introduced under the Law on the Protection of Specially Designated Secrets in 2014, has now been extended to introduce economic security as the fifth area requiring protection. To ensure the protection of critical economic information, only individuals who pass the government's detailed background checks, covering aspects such as criminal records, financial status, and family backgrounds, will be permitted to handle this sensitive information. The bill also includes stringent penalties of up to five years in prison or a maximum fine for any leaks of designated information.