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Handling of Personal Information in Telecommunication Business

[Note]
  • *
    Please note that this document is an unofficial translation and was prepared for reference purpose only. The original release is in Japanese.

1. Purpose of use of personal information

For the purpose of providing telecommunications services, etc., SoftBank Corp. (hereafter called “SoftBank”) uses, shares and provides third parties with personal information within the scope necessary to achieve the purposes below. SoftBank will not obtain personal information by false statements or unlawful means.

1) Purpose of use of personal information

Purpose of use The target personal information *
1. Customer support such as giving responses to customers inquiries, information on procedures to use SoftBank's services or other information services [1]-[10]
2. Charge calculation [1], [3], [5], [6], [8], [10]
3. Billing [1]-[10]
4. Prevention of unauthorized use of SoftBank's services [1]-[10]
5. Improvement of convenience and quality improvement of SoftBank's services, research and development of new services, and various marketing research and analysis for these purposes [1], [3], [5]-[10]
6. Preparation of statistical data for management analysis and improvement of contents, service, etc. and the use of the results of such analysis [1], [3], [5], [6], [8]-[10]
7. Guidance, etc. on products, services and campaigns of SoftBank and other companies, and delivery, indication and optimization of advertisement of SoftBank and other companies [1], [3]-[6], [8]-[10]
8. Notice to inform about information provision to contribute to the development of information and communication industry and improvements in customer service [1], [3], [8]-[10]
9. For performing support operations for the construction, maintenance, defect fixes of terminal equipment of SoftBank's services and for responding to the failure including software updates, etc. of SoftBank's services [1], [3]-[6], [8]-[10]
10. For providing relevant personal information to NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE EAST CORPORATION (hereafter “NTT East”), NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE WEST CORPORATION (hereafter “NTT West”, and “NTT East/West” combining with NTT East) and agreed operators for the sake of executing work and related work to interconnect with them. [1]-[3], [8]-[10]
11. For performing other operations necessary for providing SoftBank's services and ancillary services [1]-[10]
[Note]
  • *
    The personal information numbers are as follows.

The target personal information

  1. [1]
    Personal information obtained from the applicant or contractor such as name, address, date of birth, gender, telephone number, occupation, workplace and email address
  2. [2]
    Personal information contained in the form such as Identity verification documents
  3. [3]
    Information related to your application such as service names, personal identification number, product name, application quantity and date of application
  4. [4]
    Information regarding payment methods such as financial institution accounts and credit card information
  5. [5]
    Information regarding billing and payment such as charge, payment status and payment date
  6. [6]
    Information regarding call history or usage details such as outbound/inbound call history, called party number and amount of information transmission
  7. [7]
    Location information
  8. [8]
    Information such as dial number assigned by SoftBank at the contract and information about communication equipment such as serial number of a terminal
  9. [9]
    Content and history of feedback or inquiries
  10. [10]
    Other acquired information which is for providing telecommunication services

In addition, SoftBank will clarify the purpose of use and obtain prior consent from customers whenever using the relevant personal information for any purpose other than those above mentioned.

Modification of the purpose of use

When SoftBank modifies the purpose of use, SoftBank does not change the purpose of use beyond the scope which is reasonably considered that the purpose of use after the change is duly related to that before the change.

2) Shared information

SoftBank may jointly uses personal data for the purpose of providing telecommunication service as follows. SoftBank complies with the Guidelines for the Protection of Personal Information in the Telecommunications Business Field and shall not share them go beyond the scope defined in the Handling of Personal Information in Telecommunication Business that was agreed by customer.

  1. Entities jointly using information with SoftBank

    Our group companies

  2. Jointly used personal data

    All personal data of customers or landowners of base stations obtained by SoftBank at the time of application and while providing services, and all personal data required for the business described in the article of “Purpose of joint use” such as names, corporate names, phone numbers, addresses, email address, customer ID, billing addresses, ages, gender, subscribed tariff plans and discounts, types of placing terminals and payment status (except cases where such information provision infringes the secrecy of communication)

  3. Purpose of joint use

    1. Customer support such as responding to customer enquiries, guidance on procedures to use services of entities that jointly use with us or other information provision;
    2. Charge calculation;
    3. Billing;
    4. Marketing research and analysis;
    5. Guidance, etc. on products, services and campaigns of SoftBank and other companies;
    6. Notice to inform about information provision to contribute to the development of information and communication industry and improvements in customer service;
    7. For determining whether or not to provide goods or services relevant to SoftBank's joint users and their actual provision.
    8. Construction, maintenance and system trouble-support of communication network including the borrowing, loan, installation, preservation, management and other additional business and related business.
  4. Chief Privacy Officer of jointly used Personal Information

    CDO of SoftBank

3) Provision to third parties

SoftBank may provide personal data as defined below to third parties defined below for the purpose of use as defined below. Furthermore, SoftBank may provide third parties with personal data handled by SoftBank with complying with the rules of the Personal Information Protection Law, Telecommunications Business Law and other prescripts by means of transporting documents or of sending by electronic means or magnetic means, etc.

  1. In case any customer does not make payment of telecommunications services even though such payment is overdue or any dispute about nonpayment or amount in arrear arises, SoftBank may provide mobile operators including mobile virtual network operators and BWA (broadband wireless access) service operators with a name, address, date of birth, gender, mobile phone number / PHS number, contact phone number of such customer and information of such dispute, if any, for the purpose of preventing any nonpayment of telecommunications services from occurring. SoftBank is responsible for the management of such personal data handled by SoftBank.
  2. With the objective of preventing any improper subscriptions, any nonpayment of telecommunications services from occurring, etc. through practically screening subscribers when accepting telecommunications service applications, etc., SoftBank may provide Yahoo Japan Corporation and its group companies with the relevant customer's personal information or application subscriber's personal data (name, address, date of birth, gender, telephone number, occupation, workplace, identity verification documents' number, payment methods, charges payment, payment account number or credit card number, contract status, judgment result, record of fraud, timing of nonpayment, amount of nonpayment and the information if there is a dispute, etc. in arrears, etc.). SoftBank is responsible for the management of such personal data handled by SoftBank.
  3. If there is a person who violates the Law for Appropriate Transmission of Specified Emails (Law No. 26 of 2002) in cases in which a number of emails are sent at once or pose a problem for sending and receiving emails due to a large volume of email (spam mail behavior), we may provide the name, address, date of birth, gender, mobile phone number / PHS number, contact phone number of the person who is given telecommunications service suspension or termination of contract in line with our service agreement for screening of prospective subscribers at the time of application, if any, to mobile phone business entities (including mobile virtual network operators, the same hereafter in this article) for the purpose of prevention of reoccurrence of any spam mail behavior beforehand and to protect against the disturbing of sending and receiving emails in cases in which the person concludes a contract with mobile phone business entities. SoftBank is responsible for the management of such personal data handled by SoftBank.
  4. SoftBank may provide a contracting operator with names, addresses, phone numbers, subscribed services and any other personal data required for providing telecommunications services to carry out operations necessary for interconnection with such contracting operator such as setting out customer contracts and smooth provision of telecommunications services.
  5. We may provide personal data such as the name, address, date of birth, mobile phone number, PHS number and detailed Mobile Number Portability (“MNP”) procedures with mobile phone business entities for the purpose of handling MNP.
  6. We may, for the purpose of verifying a scope of application of a discount/flat-rate service etc. between phones specified by SoftBank, provide the subscriber or user of such discount/flat-rate service etc. with information about contract status to the phone number as well as price plan, that phone number, subscriber's name, etc.
  7. When a customer uses telecommunications services/other companies' services and a combined bill service in which SoftBank charges for telecommunications services together with other paid services/products offered by a provider other than SoftBank (“Combined Bill”), SoftBank may provide the relevant paid services/products provider with such customer's personal data (order, usage, payment information, billing date or the like) for the purpose of charge payment to that provider. In addition, SoftBank may also provide such paid services/products provider with the relevant customer's personal data (name, address, phone number, information concerning Combined Bill payment status or the like) for the purpose of the bill collection only if such customer fails to pay Combined Bill even though such Combined Bill is overdue.
  8. When a customer, its family member(s) or person admitted by SoftBank (“Customers”) subscribe a service offered by a provider specified by SoftBank, SoftBank may provide the relevant service applicant with such Customers' personal data (name, address, subscription status of telecommunication services, billing information, etc.) to offer Combined Bill service in which SoftBank charges for its telecommunication services together with charges of the subscribed service.
  9. For the purpose of responding to enquires about numbers covered by the discount service between SoftBank-specified mobile phone and SoftBank-specified IP phone as well as giving notice of the relevant service subscription status, SoftBank may offer, through the operator (including SoftBank) of such SoftBank-specified IP phone, personal data of the SoftBank's service subscriber (mobile phone number, phone number, customer ID, subscription status of such service or the like) to a subscriber of SoftBank-specified IP phone or mobile phone operator (including SoftBank), who is a family member of SoftBank subscriber.
  10. In offering a service in which 2 mobile phone numbers and 2 email addresses are available in one handset, SoftBank may, when registered subscribers for the relevant numbers and email addresses are different, provide one subscriber with the other's personal data (information about the subscription of various optional services, suspension of use or cancellation status).
  11. For the purpose of running a campaign organized by a SoftBank dealer and a sale cooperating agency (“Campaign Organizers”) such as management of campaign or grant and delivery of privileges, SoftBank may provide such Campaign Organizers with personal data of SoftBank customers qualified for such campaign (identifiable information of a qualified customer such as his/her name, address or phone number).
  12. SoftBank may, if deems it necessary to identify details of identity verification documents presented when telecommunication services are subscribed, provide a publisher of such documents with personal data of those documents (address, name, date of birth, etc.) for the purpose of preventing any unauthorized subscription.
  13. SoftBank may, if asked to check the applicability and usage status of price discount services for SoftBank phones provided by a SoftBank specified telecommunication provider, provide an applicant of such services with personal data of SoftBank subscriber referred to (mobile number, name, reason for inapplicability of such service (incompatibility of the relevant price plan, etc.), etc.) through such provider for the purpose of informing checking results as long as the relevant applicant is a family member of SoftBank subscriber in question.
  14. For the purpose of preventing any unauthorized subscriptions through making use of screening when receiving service applications, SoftBank may, as requested by the police agency, provide mobile operators including mobile virtual network operators with personal data of a customer (name, address, date of birth, gender, mobile phone number / PHS number, contact phone number, etc.) whose subscription was not accepted because such customer was unable to be identified. SoftBank is responsible for the management of such personal data handled by SoftBank.
  15. With the objective of introducing, providing, analyzing, improving, supporting, and so forth various products, services and campaigns to applicant or contractor, SoftBank may provide Yahoo Japan Corporation, its group companies and other companies that introduce, provide, analyze, improve, support and so forth the relevant products, services and campaigns with the applicant's or contractor's personal data (name, address, telephone number, contract information including required information for the application of campaigns, access status of SB Web site linked by the customer ID, etc.).
  16. If a customer subscribes to a service offered by a content provider forming a partnership with SoftBank (“Content Provider”), SoftBank may provide such Content Provider with personal data of the relevant customer (name, address, email address, date of birth, gender, etc.) for the purpose of simplifying data-entry operations required for the subscription.
  17. With the objective of providing a service offered by other companies forming a partnership with SoftBank, SoftBank may provide such company with personal data (name, address, phone number, email address, date of birth, gender, other information for identifying customers or carrying out operations of partner's services, etc.) required for subscribing or providing such services.
  18. With the objective of confirming observance of the concluded contract between SoftBank and user, or between user and resale/rental company which contracts with SoftBank for handling the services, or with the objective of using for the contract examination between resale/rental company and the user who made contract violation in the past, SoftBank may provide the information (phone number concerned, subscriber's name, address, date of birth, etc.) regarding suspicious phone numbers of contract violation to resale/rental company forming a partnership with SoftBank.
  19. On the basis of the report from our customer who received spam emails (emails include short mail service (SMS: mail which send characters, numbers or symbols with using control signal)), in line with our customer contract, SoftBank may provide customer's personal data (mobile phone number / PHS number / email address, reported contents, etc.) to the other mobile phone business entities (entities include mobile virtual network operators) for the purpose of prevention of reoccurrence of any spam mail behavior beforehand and to protect against the disturbing of sending and receiving emails..
  20. In case a SoftBank customer sent spam emails (emails include the short mail service (SMS: mail which send characters, numbers or symbols with using control signal)), on the basis of the report from the other mobile phone business entity's (entity include mobile virtual network operators, the same hereafter in this article) customer who received the message (hereafter receiver), the mobile phone business entity which provide telecommunication services to the receiver may provide the information regarding the spam mail (mobile phone number / PHS number / email address, sent date/time, contents, etc.) to the other mobile phone business entities including SoftBank.
  21. With the objective of preventing a crime which uses the services provided by contents provider, SoftBank may provide such provider with personal information (age-group, contract status (personal use or not), etc.) regarding the mobile phone user (registered as the actual mobile phone user).
  22. SoftBank may obtain the location information of the person who need rescue responding to the request from relief agency such as police agency, Japan Coast Guard and fire departmentthat search the rescuee, and may provide the relief agency with the location information. In case the contract has been unestablished or cancelled, SoftBank may provide the relief agency with the status. And if the rescuee has moved to the other mobile operator by MNP then SoftBank may provide the agency with the operator's name.
  23. With the objective of preventing any improper subscriptions, any nonpayment of telecommunications services from occurring, etc. through making use of screening when receiving telecommunications service applications, etc., or through the investigation after the subscription, SoftBank may provide mobile operators including a part of mobile virtual network operators with the personal data (name, Japanese katakana of name, date of birth, address, postal code, type of certificate, certificate number, certification authority, date of application, phone number, information about arrest, tricks of forgery, result of screening, etc.) related to the forged or tampered identity verification documents that is presented by customers or application subscribers. SoftBank is responsible for the management of such personal data handled by SoftBank.
  24. In cases where SoftBank's telecommunication services are used as telecommunications facility for mobile phones, SoftBank may provide mobile phone subscriber with the personal data (subscription status, changes in information, etc.) of the telecommunication service subscriber for the purpose of determining whether or not to provide the service and of performing the appropriate maintenance of registered information.
  25. In case where SoftBank provides telecommunication service and the internet connection service using optical fiber (hereafter “optical service”) with utilizing optical collaboration model that is provided by NTT East and NTT West, SoftBank may provide NTT East or NTT West with the applicant's or contractor's personal data (name, address, phone number, email address, date of birth, gender, other information for identifying the applicant or users, etc.) for the purpose of performing such optical service related operations as registration (including changeover from FLET'S Hikari to optical service), provisioning, deployment and maintenance performed by NTT East or NTT West. NTT East/West may disclose the applicant's or contractor's personal data to third parties on the basis of the prescript of NTT East/West.
  26. With the objective of advertising product, service and campaign of other companies and ours to a customer, or the objective of analyzing it, etc., SoftBank may provide the customer's personal data (Advertising Identifier: it linked the access status of our Web site or the use status of our application by customer ID) with the companies which provide a platform related to advertisement delivery.

4) SoftBank may provide third parties with modified information that is transformed personal data SoftBank handles into indistinguishable individuals.

[Note]
  1. *

5) SoftBank properly handles information in relation to the secrecy of communication such as communication and call logs or caller's information in accordance with Article 4 of the Telecommunication Business Law, other relevant rules and guidelines.

6) In addition, when personal information related to the landowners, leaseholders, and/or operators of telecommunications facilities, etc., is gathered, the purpose of its use shall be clarified for each instance of collection.

2. Disclosure of retained personal data

1) SoftBank, if requested to inform about the purpose of use, disclose, correct, suspend or provide to third parties retained personal data by an individual of such retained personal data, gives a reply in the following service. Complaints about the handling of such retained personal data are also acceptable through the following service.

Personal Data Customer Consultation Service

2) The following is assigned by us as an approved organization to protect personal information and to accept grievance resolution requests.
-Qualified Personal Information Protection Organization-

Contact

Telecommunications Personal Information Protection Promotion Center (Japan Data Communications Association) (in Japanese)

(only for personal information enquiry regarding mobile products or services (SoftBank / Y!mobile / LINEMO (in Japanese)) of SoftBank Corp.)

A receptionist phone number 03-5907-3803 (charged)
Service hours 10:00-12:00, 13:00-15:00 (Monday through Friday)
(excluding public holidays and year-end through New Year holidays)

Supplementary provisions

  • The present Handling of Personal Information in the Telecommunications Business shall be enforced from April 1, 2005.
  • Revised on April 1, 2022
  • Please click here (in Japanese) to find the previous revised rules.