Japan challenges Facebook to improve its users’ security

Image: AZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty Images

The latest Facebook data breach is prompting scrutiny on the world stage.

On Monday, the Japanese government asked Facebook to be more proactive and transparent about protecting its users’ data. Reuters learned of the request via a statement from Japan’s Personal Information Protection Commission.

Specifically, Japanese authorities want Facebook to increase monitoring of third party apps, tell users when there’s been any issue, and keep the government abreast of any changes to its security infrastructure. 

The letter is reportedly just a request. There is nothing legally binding or carrying any penalties within it.

Japan’s ask of Facebook comes after the social media company revealed that a security breach compromised the personal data of 29 million users. It also follows a year of scandal about how the British political consulting and data firm Cambridge Analytica got their hands on the data of 87 million Facebook users, and used the data to inform its microtargeted psychographic advertising.

In light of Facebook’s very bad year, Japan is just the latest country to tell the company to do better. The United States, Canada, and the European Union have all held hearings and been in communication with the company. Papua New Guinea even went as far as to ban Facebook in the country for one month, to assess the benefits vs. risks for citizens.

Facebook was certainly more forthcoming about the recent breach than it was about Cambridge Analytica; it’s clearly trying to do better on that watchword of the tech community, “transparency.”

Now it just has another government watching its every move.