Japan is upping its preventive measures against the misuse of loss-prevention tags in light of emerging privacy concerns. The government has drafted a new bill aiming to regulate the illicit use of these handy technological tools. The proposed legislation, unveiled this week, wants to deter individuals or entities from exploiting these devices for purposes beyond their original intent — reducing instances of property loss. This legislation comes following a series of reported incidents where loss-prevention tags were repurposed for tracking individuals without their consent.

Technology misuse has been under increasing scrutiny in Japan, leading the public to support more stringent regulations. A series of high-profile cases where loss-prevention tags were misused to track and stalk individuals has instigated this government move. Privacy has an immense social value in Japan, and this legislation reflects the collective effort to safeguard it.

In contrast, in the US or EU, the misuse of technology and privacy issues are predominantly left to corporates to address. They deal with such concerns through terms of service agreements or user policies. However, with the rise in privacy-related incidents globally, these regions, too, are considering implementing similar policies.