Residents of Tokyo filed a lawsuit against the creator of the online map of bankrupts

Residents of Tokyo filed a lawsuit against the creator of the online map of bankrupts

Residents of Tokyo filed a lawsuit against the creator of the online map of bankrupts
A claim against the owner of the website, who posted a Google map with personal data of Japanese citizens declared bankrupt marked on it, has been recently filed with the Tokyo District Court.  The plaintiffs said that by posting such a publication, the website administrator had invaded their privacy.

They demand 220 thousand yen (about 145 thousand rubles) from the violator to compensate for the damage caused.
It follows from the materials of the case that the defendant published the map of bankrupts at the end of 2018.
And despite the fact that the page with the map was closed already in March 2019, it included several hundred thousand persons, who had participated in bankruptcy proceedings in the previous three years.  According to the lawyer representing the plaintiffs, they were afraid to leave their houses after their names had become known to the visitors of the website.

According to the Jiji Press, the defendant is a citizen residing in the territory of Kanagawa prefecture near Tokyo.  In a written statement, he told the court that he did not consider himself guilty, since the information about the persons found insolvent was public.  In Japan, their names are published a special government newspaper, as well as in an online media

According to the plaintiffs, the infringement of their interests was associated with the convenience of searching for personal data on the map.
Finding the names and addresses of bankrupts in the official publication is much more difficult than using a website with a map.
The victims of the controversial publication stated that the site owner did not seek to serve the public good through his actions.

Experts note that bankruptcy is becoming a big problem for many Japanese, who are literally in the grip of restrictive measures introduced by the authorities.  Another state of emergency declared in Japan prohibits citizens from moving from one prefecture to another, unless it is forced by industrial necessity.  There are also restrictions on the sale of alcohol in bars and restaurants.

27.09.2021