DM “paper waste” has become the front line for personal data

With the amended Act on the Protection of Personal Information promulgated on July 17, 2026, does a subcontracted print vendor’s job shift from “printing responsibly” to “disposing, stopping, and reporting responsibly”? And how much of that operating work can you price separately from production—on paper and on the shop floor?

Direct mail is typically handled as “outsourced processing,” not a third-party transfer. For print vendors, that distinction has long been a safe zone. But the center of gravity for incidents is no longer the data center. It’s the paper on the floor. In the Personal Information Protection Commission (PPC)’s annual report, “paper media only” accounted for 10,263 cases (76.9%) of leaks and similar events among private-sector entities. The amended law was promulgated on July 17, 2026. It will take effect “on a date specified by Cabinet Order within two years from the date of promulgation.” In that window, any print company doing DM, BPO, or AI-enabled work will need to rewire both contracts and operations.

Gathered with AI. Thought through on the shop floor. Written for the future of print.

BPJ WIRE: stories selected and drafted by the BPJ desk from world news, fact-checked against the source ledger — published alongside the editor's own picks.

Translated from Japanese by AI. The Japanese original is authoritative. Read the Japanese original