Update: February 8, 2022 A ccess Now and civil society organizations from across the globe are calling on the international community and technology companies to stand with the people of Myanmar and resist the coup both physical and digital. Infrastructure was also severely damaged in 2011, when an earthquake and tsunami hit Japans east coast, triggering the destruction of a nuclear power plant in Fukushima. In December 2019, Kawasaki City created the first nondiscrimination ordinance that includes criminal penalties for hate speech in public spaces. Since the laws introduction, many cities have subsequently moved to legislate against hate speech (see C2). Individuals can generally use the internet anonymously in Japan. The Act on the Protection of Specially Designated Secrets came into force in 2014, despite objections from the opposition, civil society, and protesters. the change was expected to allow tourists who were supposed to visit Japan during the 2020 Summer Olympics to more easily access mobile services.10. Musician Takemura Kiriko authored a Twitter post in favor of the campaign that month, but deleted it after some social media users left negative comments. 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. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in online harassment directed at medical personnel and individuals who allegedly contracted COVID-19. In June 2016, the Supreme Court dismissed a legal challenge to the police practice of monitoring places of worship and other venues used by members of the Muslim community. What kind of destruction? In 2016, major Japanese news outlets reported that government officials pressured TEPCO not to use the term meltdown at a news conference shortly after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant accident.5 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. The UNs special rapporteur for privacy noted ahead of the laws passage that in order to establish the existence and the extent of such a planning and preparatory actions, it is logical to assume that those charged would have had to be subjected to a considerable level of surveillance beforehand.7, Under a wiretap law enacted in 2000, law enforcement agents may seek a court order to conduct electronic surveillance in criminal investigations involving drugs, firearms, human trafficking, or organized murders, in an exception to articles of other laws that explicitly forbid wiretapping.8 Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) Docomo, KDDI, and SoftBank all launched commercial fifth-generation (5G) services in March 2020.3 Explicit images of genitalia are forbidden in Japan . 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. The government has also invested heavily in Wi-Fi networks in preparation for the 2020 Summer Olympics, which were postponed and held in August 2021.5 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. Reasons vary from keeping inappropriate material out of reach to trying to stop protests and other public demonstrations from being organized. 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. The Tokyo-based Safer Internet Association (SIA) reported that it was asked to manage over 7,276 cases of nonconsensual sharing of intimate images in 2019 and secured the deletion of the content in 6,771 (93 percent) of those cases.2, Previously, inflammatory, nationalist speech targeting Japanese residents of Korean origin and other minority groups was also subject to removal. Rakuten Mobile partnered with electronics firm NEC to launch 5G services, originally planned for June 2020. (Feb. 22, 2021) On December 30, 2020, Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin signedFederal Law No. 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. Since today we are discussing censorship, I thought it would be appropriate to show two books of Japanese early nineteenth-century shunga (lit. The law obliges agents to notify targets of wiretaps after investigations are concluded and inform the Diet about the number they implement annually. Police can request these details, along with usage logs, if they detect illegal online activity. 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). In 2021, Japan faces some of the biggest social, political, and economic changes of a lifetime. The court stated that removal of information can be demanded only when privacy protection concerns clearly outweigh the publics interest in the disclosure of information online.12 : spring pictures) that are banned in present-day Japan and were printed and published in the USA. Increasingly, however, if we want to find direct government censorship of speech, we don't have to travel far. Washington, DC 20036, Scores are based on a scale of 0 (least free) to 100 (most free). Some companies cooperate with investigative authorities by turning over their users' data without receiving a court order. In July 2020, lawmakers from the Liberal Democratic Party urged the government to restrict the use of TikTok over concerns that Chinese officials might be able to access sensitive user data via the app.1 Some municipal governments have also introduced local ordinances on hate speech, including the government of Osaka in 2016. The book also examines the conflict between the obscenity law, introduced in Meiji times when Japan was importing Western models, and the freedom of speech law, which was put in place by the US occupation administration after World War II. In May 2019, it was revealed that the national government and Fukushima Prefecture paid over 24 billion ($217 million) to an advertising agency to manage public relations, including in online outlets, after the disaster.6. Once the SIA receives a report, it will either file a police report or make a request for removal to the relevant domestic or overseas provider.18. Abe was . In April 2021, Reporters Without Borders also criticized the kisha club system in their annual World Press Freedom Index.4. Many experts have indicated their concern about ambiguous components of the law that could be abused. There are few obstacles to internet access, no blocks on websites, and the legal framework provides strong protections for various forms of expression. The Imperial Throne shall be dynastic and succeeded to in accordance with the Imperial House Law passed by the Diet. Facebook has suppressed content posted by Palestinians and their supporters speaking out about human rights issues in Israel and Palestine. However, there is some criticism that the ongoing price war has prevented smaller companies from entering the market.4 The panel allegedly suspended its efforts to draft the legislation in October 2018 after failing to reach consensus on whether the blocking would violate the constitutional right to secrecy of communications.5, ISPs voluntarily filter child sexual abuse images, and many offer parents the option to filter certain other content to protect young internet users.6 The group essentially serves as an online public relations effort for the LDP, though its rules make clear that members are responsible for their own social media posts. While users have a choice of providers for internet services, certain companies dominate the market. Kisha clubs include reporters covering institutions such as government ministries or major corporations but are only open to traditional media companies.1 Donald Trump's claim that his anti-BDS order "targets antisemitism" was presented as fact in the New York Times headline ( 12/10/19 . Outstanding challenges include ethnic and gender-based discrimination and claims of improperly close relations between government and the business sector. After NTT Docomo became a wholly owned subsidiary of NTT in December 2020,4 Media scrutiny of reportage involving the 2011 disaster has continued. In 2002, industry associations produced guidelines designed to protect ISPs from legal liability within the jurisdiction of the Japanese courts. 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. In June 2020, the Tokyo High Court reversed a lower court ruling that Twitter must remove posts which detailed the plaintiffs arrest records (see B3). 2, A 2003 law protects personal information collected electronically by private and public-sector organizations when it consists of more than 5,000 records.3 Some of those arrested were fined 100,000 ($906).5 The court indicated that points such as the content of the search results, the scope of disclosure, the social status of the persons involved, the social situation, and the necessity of disclosing facts were critical in deciding whether search engine results should be removed.13 While cyberattacks against journalists and activists are rare, private companies have been targeted in previous coverage periods. The number of interceptions has more than doubled from the previous year, partly due to the introduction of new procedures that allow the police to wiretap individuals without witnesses from telecommunication companies.11, The wiretap law was controversial when it passed, in part due to the authorities periodic abuse of surveillance powers.12 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. Political rights and civil liberties are generally well respected. Political bots have also permeated the Japanese internet. 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 Twitter complied with 29.4 percent of the requests.7. In April 2021, CrowdStrike, a US cybersecurity company, stated that the risk of cyberattacks at the event was low because of the restrictions on audience.3. Are there laws that assign criminal penalties or civil liability for online activities, particularly those that are protected under international human rights standards? Do restrictions on the internet and digital content lack transparency, proportionality to the stated aims, or an independent appeals process? Though exceptional, such incidents still exert a chilling effect on Japanese online expression. Access to the internet remains relatively equal across different segments of the population. Japan is primarily a civil law country, and the United States is primarily a common law country. Does the online information landscape lack diversity and reliability? In May 2020, MICs minister Takaichi Sanae, voiced her interest in amending the Provider Liability Limitation Law.3 In recent years, content removals have focused on hate speech and illegal content, including child sexual abuse images and intimate images shared without the subjects consent. Do state or nonstate actors employ legal, administrative, or other means to force publishers, content hosts, or digital platforms to delete content, particularly material that is protected by international human rights standards? (Kotaku also says that Japanese porn is painstakingly censored by hand, earning the highly skilled laborers $15 per hour.) 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 Japan's parliament enacted the proposed revised copyright law on Friday to expand the law to punish those who knowingly download illegally uploaded or pirated manga, magazines, and academic works . I know they sold 2 different versions of RE games at least, a more censored version and a less censored version for adults. 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 . In one significant instance, government officials and the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) withheld data about pollution after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. 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