An employee of the Nuclear Regulation Authority in Japan lost a phone containing confidential information about nuclear security in China.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) of Japan reported that an employee lost their work phone during a personal trip to China on November 3, during a security check at Shanghai airport. The phone contained the names and contact details of personnel responsible for nuclear security, extremely confidential information.

The incident was discovered only three days later, and the phone was not recovered following checks at the airport. The NRA notified the Data Protection Commission, highlighting the risk of a possible information leak. This incident is not isolated, considering that in 2023, an employee of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant lost confidential documents, and another employee mishandled sensitive information.

These incidents occur in the context in which Japan is resuming its atomic energy program, suspended after the Fukushima disaster in 2011. The NRA was established to ensure nuclear safety and oversee the restart of reactors in the country.