The lower house of the Diet has approved an agreement between Japan and the United States to provide mutual access to online fingerprint databases to aid criminal investigations.
The agreement, which was negotiated last year by the two countries, was signed in Tokyo by Japan's National Public Safety Commission chairman and U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, earlier this year. It is expected to be approved by the upper house next month before the end of the current Diet session on June 22
The shared international fingerprint database will be used to assist law enforcement agencies to counter terror, criminal and other threats, both foreign and domestic.
The National Police Agency (NPA) and other investigative bodies in Japan will be provided with corresponding data from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security.
Under the arrangement, all fingerprint data collected over the past few years for anyone previously arrested, or anyone suspected of engaging in criminal acts, will be available in real time.
In Japan, when police arrest suspects or are carrying out an investigation, they will be able to cross-reference a database now containing the fingerprints of over 10 million individuals. In addition, fingerprints of anyone arriving at airports can be matched against the fingerprints in the U.S. database. Where fingerprints match, photos will be provided.
The database does not, however, allow for exchange of data regarding juveniles, or individuals who have been acquitted. Of the 37 countries with which America shares special visa-exemption status, Japan is the first country with which such a program has been established.
The U.S. and Japan already grant access to the files upon written request using paper forms, officials said. However, it is hoped that the new system will speed up the process.
© Japan Today
23 Comments
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John Galt
Big Brother advances at every turn, never resting. And the lame excuse is "for safety's sake.
driftnet
I got fingerprinted for making a turn where I was not supposed to. They said I could have used a hanko, but who carries one in the car at all times? I wonder if that counts as a criminal act, and if they plan to share?
And we know that this will include airport collected fingerprints in the future. And we know that the U.S. cannot be trusted with the data and neither can Japan.
And how many mutual criminal investigations we talking about per year? One? Will that be worth the privacy loss? I don't think so.
bass4funk
Now, now now, Japan has its own dastardly draconian laws and it's already highly xenophobic and overly cautious when it comes to foreigners and this was in the works for some time now. I'm just surprised that anyone would ever be surprised by this.
thkanner
do I get it right? Data from criminals will be exchanged, data from anyone arriving at airport will be exchanged but data from individuals who have been acquitted are not exchanged.
Does it make anyone arriving at airports a criminal? The word slowly becomes a nanny police state. I wonder why they do this? What kind of fears those people have to come up with that crap?
CrazyJoe
This agreement is called the PCSC agreement. (cooperation in preventing and combating serious crime).
StormR
Wonder if this data is only what the US / Japan holds ie US / Japanese citizens or what other countries also hold ?
some14some
from manual to digital...that's it.
toshiko
@driftnet: More likely you will be on this huge database. On your data, the detail of your crime, too. Also, your photo. from your driver's license, or mug shot.
gonemad
@driftnet, and next time you want to enter the US you will be denied entry because you lied about your criminal record...
toshiko
Under the arrangement, all fingerprint data collected over the past few years for anyone previously arrested, or anyone suspected of engaging in criminal acts, will be available in real time.
@StormRMAY. 18, 2014 - 05:04PM JST Wonder if this data is only what the US / Japan holds ie US / Japanese citizens or what other countries also hold ?
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The article state that 'for anyone, Nothing to do with nationality of criminals in Japan and USA.
John Galt
thkanner, It means data will be exchanged, all data probably. Guilty or not, the data will be shared with Big Brother.
Jason Rolph
what if you got arrested nearly 8-10 years ago will that show up it only says a few years i was planning a personal trip / vacation there next year or so i dont wanna be kick out over stupid stuff i did when i was younger crap
danalawton1@yahoo.com
I'm sure they have my fingerprints from when I got my Eijuken... but I could care less. I'm no criminal by any means... but if I were... I'd keep a pair of gloves handy.
Badge213
There's noting surprisingly new here, this information has been available for years by paper request. It's going from analog to digital real time. If they want your info they can get it by simple request on a piece of paper right now, with the new system it's going digital instead. Nothing surprising about this news.
nath
This is a good move for any enterprise that sells this type of information. We need worldwide surveillance attached to everyone and everything. Keep the planet peaceful and people everywhere employed.
John Galt
" We need worldwide surveillance attached to everyone and everything. Keep the planet peaceful and people everywhere employed."
Yes, the sheeple MUST be kept "safe". It's all about control, and impeding travel lest the speeple have too much freedom.
avigator
It is called "control" and preparations for NWO.
toshiko
Under the arrangement, all fingerprint data collected over the past few years for anyone previously arrested, or anyone suspected of engaging in criminal acts, will be available in real time.
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It does not say fingerprint of none criminal.
globalwatcher
Great news. You do not have to worry if you are not a criminal. I am all for this while I am a liberal.
BurakuminDes
Interesting that 10 Million Japanese have their fingerprints on a criminal database. Does that include all traffic violators?
bass4funk
Has nothing to do with being either a liberal or a conservative or whether you are a criminal or not. I used to be for it, but now I see how greatly this system can be abused if it gets into the wrong hands. Look what Snowden did and that was the NSA. Now imagine if your info or anyone else's info gets into the wrong hands or the government, people or other powers that be use this information for other illicit means, the potential and possibility of this happening is all too real.
toshiko
One advantage is that your id is stolen and used by a criminal/criminal organization, you will be asked to fingerprint and when the fingerprint of criminal mismatch, yours will be discarded and you will not be charged with somebody else's crime. There are bunch of identity thefts in USA. Not everyone, Just convicted criminals in this database.
thkanner
I wonder what FEAR is driving big brother USA to do such things...