Lower House Approves Bill to Revise Personal Information Protection Law

The House of Representatives has passed a bill to revise the personal information protection law, introducing fines for businesses that repeatedly commit violations. The bill was approved by a majority vote during a plenary meeting, with support from the ruling coalition and the Democratic Party for the People.

To prevent the abuse of personal information, the bill includes a provision requiring businesses that repeatedly obtain personal information unlawfully or use it improperly to pay fines equivalent to the earned profit to state coffers. The application of the fine system is limited to serious cases, such as those involving more than 1,000 victims.

In response to intensifying global competition in artificial intelligence development, the bill allows the acquisition and provision of personal information without the individual's consent only if it is used solely for statistical purposes.

The bill is expected to be enacted during the current parliament session, which will run through July.