The Telecommunications Business Act promotes healthy development of telecommunications and protects user interests. Enacted in 1985 alongside NTT's privatization, it governs carrier entry regulations, service quality standards, and user protection rules. It applies to all telecommunications services including mobile, landline, and internet.
A critical provision is "secrecy of communications." Article 4 states that "the secrecy of communications handled by telecommunications carriers shall not be violated," prohibiting carriers from disclosing call contents or communication records to third parties. This also provides the legal basis for prohibiting wiretapping.
For nuisance call regulation, the 2023 amendment introduced rules for proper handling of "specified user information," tightening regulations on large carriers' handling of location data and communication history. It also regulates caller ID spoofing operators and mandates complaint handling for telemarketing.
User rights include pre-contract disclosure obligations, initial contract cancellation (within 8 days of receiving documents), and cancellation for misrepresentation. Contact the Ministry of Internal Affairs' Telecommunications Consumer Consultation Center (03-5253-5900) or Consumer Hotline (188) for service disputes.