E-mails and documents that were translated through a free online service have been leaked onto the Internet and are visible to the public, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

At least 30 cases have been confirmed, with the senders’ identities established. These include customer information from a megabank, and business e-mails between a ministry official and an employee of a consumer electronics manufacturer.

The web site involved is not one of the major translation sites such as Google, Yahoo or Excite, but it offers translations into about 60 languages, including Southeast Asian languages. Company employees in areas where those languages are used are said to have been using this site.

Users input words or sentences into an entry display, and they are automatically translated with a maximum of three versions displayed on the screen. However, inputted text and translation results are posted on the Internet, unbeknownst to users, who cannot directly delete such posts. More.

See: The Japan News

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