IPA IP 2026 Question 13
A question IPA Japan published in 令和8年度 ITパスポート試験 公開問題 問13, translated into English. ITPEC is based on the same exams.
Which of the following is the most appropriate description of anonymously processed information as defined in the Act on the Protection of Personal Information?
Explanation
Personal information processed by the prescribed method so it cannot be restored, usable under rules without consent — that is anonymously processed information under Japan’s Act on the Protection of Personal Information.
The Act lets a business process personal information, following the standards set by the Personal Information Protection Commission, so that no specific individual can be identified and the original personal information cannot be restored. The result may be used and given to third parties without the consent of the people concerned, under rules: the business publishes the categories of information it produced and provided, keeps the processing method secure, and must not try to re-identify anyone.
Answer (c)
Why not others:
- •(a) — published statistics are not personal information at all, so processing them is not what the Act defines
- •(b) — data that can still be restored to the original is not anonymised; replacing names while keeping a way back is closer to pseudonymisation and remains protected data
- •(d) — data that identifies individuals by an Individual Number or other identifiers is still personal information, however the names were left out
Key rule: Anonymised data must be irreversible: if an individual can be identified or the original restored, it is still personal information and needs the protections of the law.
Legal Affairs · AI-written, may contain errors
This question comes from the past questions IPA Japan publishes, translated into English by ITPEC Practice. ITPEC Practice is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with IPA or ITPEC. See the original paper (PDF) or Report an issue.