Some of those arrested were fined 100,000 ($906).5 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 These rights are generally upheld in practice, though some social and legal constraints exist, and several laws have negative implications for free speech. No major foreign operators have successfully penetrated the telecommunications market independently. Four of its women characters, Jean, Amber, Mona and Rosaria, would be getting new "alternate . Japanese politician Yamada Taro has proposed changes to Criminal Code 175, so that hentai and pornography would no longer be censored. One book is by Hokusai and the other is by Utamaro.8 An American scholar of Japanese descent 43 Individuals can generally use the internet anonymously in Japan. 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. Historically, Japans internet connections were forged through cooperation among government agencies (including then government-owned NTT), universities, and national research institutions.2. While the government is relatively transparent in its censorship decisions, previous blocking and efforts to give authorities more censorship power have raised concerns. In April 2021, Reporters Without Borders also criticized the kisha club system in their annual World Press Freedom Index.4. Individuals who have criticized the ruling LDP and the government have also faced targeted harassment. The constitutional right to secrecy of communications is also protected under telecommunications laws.2 According to the Inclusive Internet Index 2021 report, Japan ranks 12th out of 100 countries surveyed for affordability, defined by cost of access relative to income and the level of competition in the internet market.1 Ahead of the Okinawa gubernatorial election in September 2018, misinformation again spread online.4 YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and international blog-hosting services are freely available, as are popular local platforms like Niconico, the video-sharing site, and LINE, a chat application that was launched in Japan in 2011. Do online journalists, commentators, and ordinary users practice self-censorship? Ensafi's team found that censorship is increasing in 103 of the countries studied, including unexpected places like Norway, Japan, Italy, India, Israel and Polandcountries which the paper notes are rated as some of the freest in the world by advocacy group Freedom House. In June 2019, the movements organizer, actress and freelance writer Ishikawa Yumi, submitted an online petition, which then bore almost 20,000 signatures, to the Health Ministry calling for an end to the requirement.4 Abe was . However, a revised and newly enacted anti-piracy law criminalizes illegally downloading manga, magazines, and academic texts, but did not expand the governments ability to block websites (see C2).3. An online petition in support of the journalist also gathered more than 17,000 signatures.10. The reporting claimed that the government deployed a clandestine online surveillance program, dubbed MALLARD, to observe communications passing between satellites.16 Sharp regional cost disparities exist; service was more expensive in Japans major cities in 2020, with customers paying an average of 3,835 ($36.89) per month. which attempts to crack the passwords of about 200 million internet-connected devices in homes and offices, starting with webcams, routers, and sensors, in order to better secure vulnerable devices with stronger passwords. YouTubers and Instagram personalities have also become increasingly influential in recent years. The law obliges agents to notify targets of wiretaps after investigations are concluded and inform the Diet about the number they implement annually. People can freely use the internet to mobilize, and netizens did so during the reporting period, notably to protest discrimination against women and LGBT+ communities. No ordinance was proposed or passed at the end of the coverage period. This law doesn't make any sense and it just have the opposite effect. Implementation guidelines for the law described four main fields of state secretsdefense, diplomacy, counterintelligence, and counterterrorismwhich are further divided into 55 categories.2, Other laws prescribe potentially disproportionate penalties for online activity. He pleaded guilty to violating Japan's copyright and obscenity laws, NHK reported this month. 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). A new law makes "online insults" punishable with jail time! The bill allows users to download image-based material or certain forms of academic content that is meant for private use.6 The PS4 launched in 2013, but Japan's release came afterward. 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 Twitter complied with 29.4 percent of the requests.7. In Japan it is now against the law to be mean on the internet. In May 2018, public broadcaster NHK and the Intercept reported on the activities of the Directorate for Signals Intelligence (DFS), a spy agency that monitors and analyzes electronic communications.15 Specifically, the government will consolidate personal information among local government and central government servers, and will link personal data to individuals unique 12-digit numbers.9, During the drafting process, it became clear that the government's priority was to effectively manage internet users information rather than to protect personal data.10 The man who later confessed to the stabbing allegedly harassed Okamoto online; in November 2019, he received an 18-year prison sentence.8. If the poster refuses permission, the service provider is authorized to assess the complaint and act on it if it is deemed legitimate. 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 Between July and December 2020, Facebook restricted access to one piece of content in response to an order from Brazils Supreme Court related to pages that supported Brazilian President Bolsanaro.5 Many people lost service for days or weeks, and mobile phone usage dropped by almost half in the affected areas.10. We're doing our best to get things working smoothly! A coalition of groups, including the Japan Internet Providers Association and the Movement of Internet Active Users, an organization that advocates for users rights, lobbied against the mandate, and mobile users can now select voluntary filters.9, Right to be forgotten cases increased around the same time as a landmark 2014 decision on the topic by the Court of Justice of the European Union. Voters found to have improperly solicited support for a candidate via email could be fined 500,000 ($4,534) or imprisoned for two years.10, Article 175 of the penal code bans the sale or distribution of obscene material, and while the relevant provisions date back more than century, they are considered to apply online.11 There are concerns that disclosure requests will be misused as a means to suppress the transmission of information.4. censorship - The Japan Times censorship Asia Pacific Jul 25, 2021 One month since closing of Apple Daily, concern over Hong Kong free press lingers by Caroline Tam Apple Daily's closure and. Service providers protect themselves from civil liability by adhering to voluntary guidelines on takedown requests.8 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 Do conditions impede users ability to mobilize, form communities, and campaign, particularly on political and social issues? Just as in ancient Grecian communities, the Roman ideal of good governance included shaping the character of the people. To help limit its effectiveness, two local dailies instituted fact-checking processes. Article 3. 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. 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. Increasingly, however, if we want to find direct government censorship of speech, we don't have to travel far. Former President Donald Trump late last year signed a law that requires US-listed companies to be held to American auditing standards and establish they are not owned or controlled by a foreign. Score Change: The score improved from 5 to 6 because the government did not block any websites or platforms during the coverage period. Police can request these details, along with usage logs, if they detect illegal online activity. The MIC requested that four industry associations monitor false or unsubstantiated content circulating about the disaster online. However, in June 2018, Okamoto Kenichiro, known as Hagex online, was murdered in Fukuoka after presenting a seminar on best practices to deal with online disagreements and abuse, among other topics.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. In 2002, industry associations produced guidelines designed to protect ISPs from legal liability within the jurisdiction of the Japanese courts. 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. Since the laws introduction, many cities have subsequently moved to legislate against hate speech (see C2). Kisha clubs include reporters covering institutions such as government ministries or major corporations but are only open to traditional media companies.1 Media scrutiny of reportage involving the 2011 disaster has continued. 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