APPI
Act on the Protection of Personal Information
Japan
In force, amended 2022
Asia & Africa
Who must comply
Business operators that handle personal information of individuals in Japan, including overseas operators that handle data of people in Japan.
Penalties
Fines up to JPY 100 million for corporations for certain violations, alongside orders and possible imprisonment for individuals.
Key obligations
- Specify and notify the purpose of use
- Obtain consent before transferring data to third parties
- Get opt-in consent for special-care sensitive data
- Honor disclosure, correction and suspension-of-use requests
- Report serious data breaches to the commission and affected individuals
How ConsentX helps
Purpose-of-use notice in the banner
Opt-in consent for sensitive data and third-party sharing
Rights request intake for disclosure and suspension
Consent receipts for evidence
Region rule engine tuned for Japan
Get APPI ready with ConsentX
This page is a plain-English summary for general information and is not legal advice. Confirm your obligations with qualified local counsel.
How to comply with APPI using ConsentX
- 1
Scan your website
Run a free scan to find every cookie and tracker on your site, so you know exactly what needs consent under APPI.
- 2
Show a geo-aware consent banner
Add the ConsentX banner. It detects each visitor region and shows the consent experience that APPI requires, automatically.
- 3
Block trackers until consent
Keep non-essential cookies and trackers blocked until the visitor agrees, so nothing fires before consent.
- 4
Record tamper-evident proof
Every choice is stored as a tamper-evident consent receipt you can produce in a APPI audit.
- 5
Handle data requests on time
Use the built-in DSAR workflow with SLA timers to answer access, deletion and opt-out requests within the legal deadline.
Frequently asked questions
Does Japan's APPI require consent for third-party sharing?+
Yes. Providing personal data to third parties generally requires consent, though a limited opt-out scheme exists with notification to the commission.
Who enforces the APPI?+
The Personal Information Protection Commission, the PPC, supervises and enforces the law.