Newspaper publishers told the government on Monday that they should be made exempt from pending privacy legislation because its principles may discourage people from talking to the media.
An outline for a basic privacy protection law was submitted on Wednesday by a government panel. The legislation primarily targets private companies with computerized data about individuals.
In an opinion paper released Monday, the Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association said the outline, which obliges the media to follow the basic principles of the proposed law, endangers both the media's ability to gather information and the freedom of the press.