Japan Upper House Panel Passes Active Cyberdefense Bill

   Tokyo, May 15 (Jiji Press)--Japan's House of Councillors Cabinet Committee on Thursday approved by a majority vote an active cyberdefense bill to allow the government to monitor communications in peacetime to prevent cyberattacks.
   The bill was supported mainly by the ruling bloc of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito, the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party), also an opposition party.
   The bill is expected to be passed into law at a plenary meeting of the upper chamber of the Diet, the country's parliament, on Friday.
   At Thursday's meeting of the committee, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba emphasized that in conducting cyberdefense, the government will adhere to legal provisions to avoid violating the secrecy of communication, guaranteed by the Constitution.
   He also said that the government will design the actual cyberdefense system while paying deep respect to the secrecy of communication.

(2025/05/15-19:18)