The city has considered measures to deal with online hate speech, but did not implement a specific ordinance to address this activity. Edit: is it true CERO does not need to look at PC games? In 2016, the law was expanded to include fraud, theft, and child sexual abuse images.9 #censorship. Depictions of genitalia are pixelated to obscure them for internet users based on a commonthough poorly articulatedinterpretation of Article 175 of the penal code, which governs obscenity.7 In Japan it is now against the law to be mean on the internet. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has governed almost continuously since 1955, with stints in opposition from 1993 to 1994 and 2009 to 2012. The National Center for Global Health and Medicine (NCGHM) announced that it was the target of about 5.3 million ransomware attacks in 2020, compared to 1.2 million incidents in 2019, though they reported that sensitive research and personal information was not compromised during these attacks.12. A 2014 law addressed the issue of content removal and intimate images shared without consent (see B2 and C2). In June 2008, the law was amended to prohibit the transfer of SIM cards without permission and to require rental companies to verify the identity of customers.1, There are no explicit restrictions on encryption. In June 2020, the Tokyo High Court reversed a Tokyo District Court ruling that Twitter remove posts which detailed the plaintiffs arrest records.14, Courts have also ordered content to be removed in defamation cases, although there were no such rulings during the coverage period. Article 175 of the Criminal Code of Japan is to prevent the distribution and sale of of indecent material, and its current interpretation includes pornography. Individuals and public figures who break this social convention risk censure and even attacks from right-wing extremists, who notoriously attempted to assassinate the mayor of Nagasaki on these grounds in 1990. Taniwaki, who had been instrumental in the governments policies on mobile phone prices, was quickly transferred to another position.7, In March 2021, the Cabinet approved Shunichi Tokura, the former chairman of the Japan Music Rights Association (JASRAC), as Commissioner for Cultural Affairs. No ordinance was proposed or passed at the end of the coverage period. Some private companies occasionally accept the governments requests to remove content. Cybersecurity efforts ramped up ahead of the summer Olympics, which were originally planned for 2020, particularly around internet of things (IoT) devices.1, In October 2020, the UK National Cyber Security Centre revealed that Russian military intelligence was planning a cyberattack on the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in the summer of 2021 in an attempt to disrupt the event.2 The East Asia Summit which includes the 10 ASEAN members plus Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia, and the United States issued several statements in 2021, including one on Women, Peace, and Security, noting the importance of women's roles to addressing root causes of terrorism. Japanese residents exercise some self-censorship online, often on historical and social issues. While these provisions were contested, and revisions are still planned,9 The Agency for Cultural Affairs has jurisdiction over copyright law and provides guidance and supervision to copyright management organizations, including JASRAC. Observers argue that the industry has generally improved since the MIC was established in 2001, which resulted from the merger of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, and the governments Management and Coordination Agency.1, Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) supported by the relevant companies in these three sectors perform a self-regulatory function. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in online harassment directed at medical personnel and individuals who allegedly contracted COVID-19. Political rights and civil liberties are generally well respected. Cyberattacks occasionally target civil society and private companies, although none were reported during the coverage period. Critics say the law does not prevent the systematic storage of intercepted communications or protect innocent parties.10 March 23, 2021, 2:30 PM Japan granted asylum to less than 1 percent of refugees and asylum-seekers who applied in 2019, despite having the third-largest economy in the world. Mori resigned a week after the petition was created (see B8). This year, China's National Film Board tightened regulations on foreign films requiring that they now undergo a second round of reviews by the Chinese Communist Party. Japanese individuals, particularly women, have used the internet to protest against gender-based discrimination and effect tangible change. An online petition in support of the journalist also gathered more than 17,000 signatures.10. In April 2021, a bill was unanimously passed and enacted in the Diet which amends the Provider Liability Limitation Act to make it easier to identify users who allegedly slander people on the internet. This code sets the age of consent for sexual activity at 13 for girls and 14 for boys, and it has remained unchanged since then. Some companies offer free Wi-Fi, including the private company Wire and Wireless (Wi2), part of the KDDI group, which provides free internet access in restaurants, coffee shops, and train stations; registration requires an email address.6 The law obliges agents to notify targets of wiretaps after investigations are concluded and inform the Diet about the number they implement annually. According to a summary by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), since 2014, there have been fewer severe outages - specifically three to eight per year- compared to the previous decade.8 Due to Tokuras previous position and his lobbying efforts on behalf of JASRAC, his appointment sparked concerns about his ability to balance protecting the rights of artists and creators while also ensuring the freedom of individuals who use copyrighted works.8. Just as in ancient Grecian communities, the Roman ideal of good governance included shaping the character of the people. While users have a choice of providers for internet services, certain companies dominate the market. It is a troubling sign of the times in Japan when the government fails to unequivocally condemn threats of violence that target freedom of expression while politicians grandstand on censoring art. In November 2018, the amended Telecommunications Business Act and the Act on the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) came into effect.3 In January 2021, the revised Copyright Act, which criminalizes the downloading of unlicensed manga, magazines, and academic publications, took effect. In February 2020, the Defense Ministry reported that some sensitive information may have been leaked as the result of the Mitsubishi breach.8 The law gives a range of officials the discretion to indefinitely restrict public information pertaining to national security.2 Censorship can be a constant factor, or it can be enacted during emergencies (or particular . Increasing smartphone use has made the mobile market more competitive and resulted in improved pricing options, although the cost of service can otherwise be quite high. It criminalized planning to commit a series of newly designated serious crimes that could supposedly fund terrorism, including copyright violations, potentially making more suspects subject to wiretaps. No third party can do so. Overseen by government officials rather than an independent body, it offers no protection for whistleblowers who reveal wrongdoing.3. No major incidents of physical violence related to peoples online activity were reported during the coverage period, though incidents of online harassment and intimidation, particularly against women, individuals with at least one Black parent, and medical personnel, did occur (see C7). China. For example, the Jiminto (LDP) Net Supporters Club (J-NSC), organized in 2010, had about 19,000 members as of 2017. However, in October of 2012, the Japanese government stated that Article 23(1) was abolished and, therefore, same-sex . While cyberattacks against journalists and activists are rare, private companies have been targeted in previous coverage periods. Social Media Platforms; Prohibiting a social media platform from willfully deplatforming a candidate; providing requirements for public contracts and economic incentives related to entities that have been convicted or held civilly liable for antitrust violations; providing that social media platforms that fail to comply with specified A law enacted in 2003 and revised in 2008 prohibits electronic communications encouraging sexual activity with minors.14 Access to the internet remains relatively equal across different segments of the population. However, the LDP ultimately decided not to submit a bill on LGBT+ equality due to strong opposition by some conservative lawmakers.8, In early 2019, users rallied behind a Tokyo Shimbun reporter who was targeted by the government. 10 Shocking Examples Of Censorship Groups Or Laws by Michael Van Duisen fact checked by Jamie Frater Censorship is the suppression of communication usually deemed harmful by the ruling government. After a three-month delay in rollout due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rakuten Mobile launched 5G services in September 2020.4 It can be done by various methods and for a range of justifications. Outstanding challenges include ethnic and gender-based discrimination and claims of improperly close relations between government and the business sector. Censorship of pornography in Japan, be it animated, photographed or filmed, has always been superficial, focusing on blocking out or blurring the sex organs. In March 2020, the government approved a revision of the Copyright Act, making it illegal to download manga, magazines, and academic publications, in addition to music and videos including in the previous version, without the copyright holders permission. However, the ordinance did stipulate that the city would take measures to prevent the spread of hate on the internet.17 Authorities typically do not order service providers to block or filter content in Japan. In June 2020, Japan passed amendments to the Act on the Protection of Personal Information. In May 2021, Aren Hachimura, the younger brother of NBA basketball player Rui Hachimura, received racist messages over SNS. The new Hong Kong national security law, the basis for Britain's admonition to Browder, provides for the indictment of anyone, anywhere, for speech seen as inimical to Chinese security interests. The Inclusive Internet Index 2021 report ranks Japan 17th out of 120 countries surveyed in terms of availability, determined by quality and breadth of available infrastructure.1 Changes to broadcasting laws in 1950 prohibited the government from direct interference with programmingthough its board of governors is still appointed by the prime minister and its budget approved by the Dietand permitted the establishment of private commercial broadcasting stations. The article does not define what constitutes obscenity, leading to concerns that it could be invoked against artistic expression or used to curtail the rights of LGBT+ people.12. The Act on Prevention of Improper Use of Mobile Phones (2005) requires mobile voice communication carriers to verify the identity of subscribers when a contract was terminated or transferred, in order to prevent a situation in which cell phone subscribers cannot be identified. Some Japanese security agencies may have equipment enabling the blanket collection and monitoring of communications data, though it is unclear how such technology has been used, what laws govern its employment, and what, if any, safeguards there are. Some self-regulatory bodies also manage content and other issues. The move raised serious concerns over whether blocking was constitutionally allowed, and the government later indicated that it would introduce legislation to broaden its blocking authority (see B3). Kisha clubs provide essential access to officials in Japan, but they have been accused of denying such access to young journalists and new media outlets; the system may also limit some reporters access to certain locations, such as areas affected by the 2011 Fukushima disaster. This law doesn't make any sense and it just have the opposite effect. Twitter complied with 29.4 percent of the requests.7. Do national regulatory bodies that oversee service providers and digital technology fail to operate in a free, fair, and independent manner? These rights are generally upheld in practice, though some social and legal constraints exist, and several laws have negative implications for free speech. Are there legal, regulatory, or economic obstacles that restrict the diversity of service providers? Amendments passed by the Diet in 2015 defined personal information in more specific terms as biometric information and numeric data that is capable of identifying a specific individual.5 The changes allowed the NICT and the MIC to carry out the NOTICE program, authorizing them to attempt to access domestic internet-enabled devices for up to five years in an effort to strengthen cybersecurity (see C8).4 Under the criminal procedure code, however, investigators can order a person to decrypt an encrypted electronic record.2, Increased concerns over harassment, intimidation, and slander during the previous coverage period led members of the ruling LDP to meet with experts to discuss the possibility of deanonymizing the accounts of those who engage in such behavior online. Censorship in Japan has taken many forms throughout the history of the country. Service providers and other technology companies can be required to aid the government in monitoring the communications of their users. The Hungarian winner of the MTV EMA Generation Change Award says an anti-LGBTQ law passed in June is enticing 'fear and censorship.' Hungarian MTV Award Winner on Life Under Country's LGBTQ Law . Do conditions impede users ability to mobilize, form communities, and campaign, particularly on political and social issues? (Kotaku also says that Japanese porn is painstakingly censored by hand, earning the highly skilled laborers $15 per hour.) The server is misbehaving. Some companies cooperate with investigative authorities by turning over their users' data without receiving a court order. You will go to prison. Germany, which has. Japan is a multiparty parliamentary democracy. A new law makes "online insults" punishable with jail time! In May 2021, the NICT released a summary of NOTICE-related activities, disclosing that it attempted to access 112 million IP addresses, and that the NOTICE alert detected 1,817 targets and notified service providers.6, The conspiracy law passed in 2017 raised the possibility of more government surveillance. The society at large prefers harmony, and people avoid criticizing the role of Japans emperor, especially when connected with historical events like World War II. A 2016 law outlined measures that authorities could take to educate the public about hate speech, while also combating such speech when directed against people of overseas origin and their descendants.4 Do online journalists, commentators, and ordinary users practice self-censorship? During the same period, Twitter received 16,648 requests for content removal.6 Mosaic destruction. Acknowledging that "one might think this is simply conjecture by the ACE Economic Research Center," Yasuda then cited five specific Western-oriented changes he believed were instrumental in contributing to the brand's slow march towards self-destruction: 1. Are individuals subject to extralegal intimidation or physical violence by state authorities or any other actor in relation to their online activities? Some of those arrested were fined 100,000 ($906).5 A number of laws regulate online activity, including by imposing civil and criminal liability. Does state surveillance of internet activities infringe on users right to privacy? With the space for such advocacy under threat in many . The company said it complies with requests that are based on a warrant, an investigation-related inquiry, or an emergency order under the Japanese penal code and criminal procedure code.15 Japans antistalking law, originally enacted in 2000, was revised in 2013 to address email harassment, and further revised in 2016 to penalize repeated blog posts or messages on social networking services.15. Osakas ordinance authorized the public identification of groups that disseminate hate speech, defined as communication which defames and aims to exclude a particular group based on race or ethnicity, including through online transmission, according to news reports.16 The man who later confessed to the stabbing allegedly harassed Okamoto online; in November 2019, he received an 18-year prison sentence.8. Increasingly, however, if we want to find direct government censorship of speech, we don't have to travel far. Are there economic or regulatory constraints that negatively affect users ability to publish content online? After NTT Docomo became a wholly owned subsidiary of NTT in December 2020,4 Under that law, providers must comply with takedown requests within two days.8, The threat of official content restrictions looms periodically during public debates about child safety, though carriers and content producers have successfully resisted intrusive regulation. Japanese courts continue to uphold strict criteria for delisting search results on major platforms. The book concludes by assessing the current state of censorship in Japan and likely future developments. With seemingly no judicial oversight and potential access to millions of users personal devices, NOTICE has raised serious privacy concerns. The platform provided data in 42 percent of cases.17. One thing that's quickly noticeable is how Japanese adult videos are censored. An online petition that received 145,000 signatures called for the resignation of the chairman of the Tokyo Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Yoshiro Mori, after he made sexist comments. The China . Article 21 of Japans constitution prohibits censorship and protects freedom of speech, press, and all other forms of expression, as well as the secrecy of any means of communication.1 In a 2017 report, the United Nations (UNs) special rapporteur on freedom of expression noted that there were significant worrying signals regarding self-censorship among journalists on issues such as the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.1 Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and its toll on everyday life, the country has transitioned to new political leadership. 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