A personal-information managing apparatus includes: a usage permission policy managing unit to manage usage permission policy in which a boundary between usage permission and usage prohibition of personal information is defined; a personal information request receiving unit to receive a request for the personal information from the personal-information handling apparatus; a usage-permission issuing unit to obtain the usage permission policy corresponding to the received request via the usage permission policy managing unit, and to issue a usage permit corresponding to the usage permission policy and the requested personal information to the personal-information handling apparatus; a usage permit issue history managing unit to manage the issued usage permit and usage permission issue history relating to the personal information; and a credibility establishing unit to establish credibility of information exchange with the personal-information handling apparatus in relation to the issuing of the usage permit and the personal information.