Japan’s popular T Card reward programme is source of information for police

The operator of T Card, one of the most popular reward cards in Japan, has regularly provided personal information about its holders to police and prosecutors at their request without court approval, investigative sources said on Sunday.

The number of T Card holders is about 67 million, more than half of Japan’s population, and personal information given to authorities included their names, birth dates, and phone numbers, as well as shopping and film rental records, internal documents of police and prosecutors showed.

The reward card is managed by Culture Convenience Club, which operates the Tsutaya film rental and bookshop chain.

Under the programme, T Card holders can accumulate reward points by spending money at the company’s chain outlets and a range of other locations, including shops, restaurants, service stations and hotels.

Members of the reward system have had no knowledge that their shopping and rental records were given to police and prosecutors, because Culture Convenience Club does not clearly state in its terms of service the possibility of their personal information being used when it needs to cooperate with authorities.

Masatomo Suzuki, a professor of information law at Niigata University, said the personal beliefs and preferences of consumers can be traced by reward card records, and obtaining such information without court warrants in advance could lead to infringement of human rights.

Even if Japan’s criminal procedure law permits this sort of approach as a means of investigation, the professor said it is “inappropriate” as the information can be obtained and used without external checks.

The Tokyo-based company, meanwhile, told Kyodo News: “In response to requests from investigative authorities and as a result of discussions over many years, we have decided to provide necessary information only if disclosures are deemed appropriate based on laws, regulations and guidelines.”

According to the sources, investigators have limited their point of contact to a certain section of the company’s head office.

They asked for personal data very frequently, and there was a case in which dozens of requests were filed with Culture Convenience Club in one day, the sources said, adding that the company provided information to them by postal mail.

Culture Convenience Club started the reward system in 2003, with its business ties expanding to almost all sectors, including also banking, real estate, utility and taxi.