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. creator Ken Akamatsu has decided to walk the walk and change Japanese censorship laws by running for office. Security agents and the military were accused of conducting illegal surveillance in cases involving national security in 2003 and 2004.13 The Imperial Throne shall be dynastic and succeeded to in accordance with the Imperial House Law passed by the Diet. Under the guidelines, anyone can report material that infringes directly on their personal rights to the service provider, either to have it removed or to find out who posted it. The amendments are set to come into effect in 2022.1, In May 2021, the government launched an investigation into the data management polices of LINE, a messaging application with servers based in Japan, after a report revealed that Chinese engineers had accessed LINEs data without the companys knowledge. 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 The man originally argued that he was defamed by false information.15, The Internet Hotline Center (IHC), operated through the SIA as part of a contract with the National Police Agency (NPA), cooperates with ISPs to solicit reports of illegal or harmful content from the public.16 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. At the same time, the actions depicted onscreen, and the wider themes of the story, are entirely free of any restrictions. Such posts have attacked critics of the LDP government and have at times initiated negative campaigns against opposition lawmakers.1 (Feb. 22, 2021) On December 30, 2020, Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin signedFederal Law No. The Agency for Cultural Affairs has jurisdiction over copyright law and provides guidance and supervision to copyright management organizations, including JASRAC. Users rarely face physical and offline harassment in relation to their online activities. Does monitoring and collection of user data by service providers and other technology companies infringe on users right to privacy? The 2001 Provider Liability Limitation Act directed ISPs to establish a self-regulatory framework to govern takedown requests involving illegal or objectionable content, defamation, privacy violations, and copyright infringement.9 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 reporting claimed that the government deployed a clandestine online surveillance program, dubbed MALLARD, to observe communications passing between satellites.16 Access is well distributed across the population, though access is less common among the elderly.4 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 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 In 2017, several municipalities asked for a clearer definition of hate speech under the law.7 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. Donald Trump's claim that his anti-BDS order "targets antisemitism" was presented as fact in the New York Times headline ( 12/10/19 . The city has considered measures to deal with online hate speech, but did not implement a specific ordinance to address this activity. 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 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. Mosaics cover genitalia. An online petition in support of the journalist also gathered more than 17,000 signatures.10. Japanese and American Legal Systems. During the current ordinary session of the Diet, the Japanese government plans to revise the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act in order to prevent the long-term detention of foreign. In February 2021, weekly news magazine Shukan Bunshun reported that NTT's president and other executives had repeatedly treated officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, including Deputy Director General Yasuhiko Taniwaki, to lavish dinners.6 In 2021, authorities fined Facebook, Twitter, Telegram, Google, TikTok, and other internet companies a total of at least 187 million RUB (US$2.5 million) over failures to take down supposedly. Japanese individuals, particularly women, have used the internet to protest against gender-based discrimination and effect tangible change. Four of its women characters, Jean, Amber, Mona and Rosaria, would be getting new "alternate . In other words, even after the new law goes into effect, a . The man who later confessed to the stabbing allegedly harassed Okamoto online; in November 2019, he received an 18-year prison sentence.8. Are websites, governmental and private entities, service providers, or individual users subject to widespread hacking and other forms of cyberattack? 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. Ahead of the Okinawa gubernatorial election in September 2018, misinformation again spread online.4 The telecommunications, internet, and broadcast sectors are regulated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) rather than an independent commission. Following the governments effort to block manga piracy sites in early 2018, observers expressed concern that the move conflicted with the Telecommunications Business Act and the constitutional ban on censorship.2 Share Share. Japans telecommunications infrastructure is advanced, and there have been no reports of the government deliberately disconnecting telecommunications service. Experts are concerned that the new policies to streamline data handling between the local and central governments will dilute personal information protections previously established by local governments and may enable increased government surveillance.11 10 You will go to prison. Sagamihara City is also planning to enact a criminal ordinance that would target hate speech against members of specific ethnic or racial groups in 2021.18 The platform provided data in 42 percent of cases.17. Twitter complied with 29.4 percent of the requests.7. Rakuten, in an effort to gain a competitive edge, launched cheaper plans in April 2021 compared to those offered by the other three mobile service providers. In March 2019, the Yokohama District Court acquitted one defendant, ruling that the cryptocurrency mining program did not constitute a virus.6 With the space for such advocacy under threat in many . Access to the internet remains relatively equal across different segments of the population. competitors and others criticized the acquisition, saying it was contrary to the intent of the 1999 NTT Law. The laws authors struggled to balance restrictions on racial and ethnic slurs with freedom of expression guarantees in the constitution.5 He pleaded guilty to violating Japan's copyright and obscenity laws, NHK reported this month. Genshin Impact quietly announced a somewhat odd change right before patch 2.4 launched this week. Despite this pushback, the MIC supported NTT.5 Are individuals penalized for online activities, particularly those that are protected under international human rights standards? 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. the use of Googles Person Finder web application to facilitate rescue and recovery,2 While Article 21 of the Constitution of Japan guarantees freedom of expression and prohibits formal censorship, effective censorship of obscene content does exist and is justified by the Article 175 of the Criminal Code of Japan. Japanese man arrested for stealing women's shoes and replacing them with new ones; Japanese office disaster: man pees in drink bottle of woman coworker because "he liked her" Japanese Twitter reacts to Logan Paul's "Japanese Suicide Forest" video; Man travels 100 kilometers in middle of the night in Japan to punch another dude in . The law did not actually ban or penalize hate speech, leading some critics to argue that it would be ineffective.6 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. In June 2020, Japan passed amendments to the Act on the Protection of Personal Information. Political rights and civil liberties are generally well respected. In May 2021, Aren Hachimura, the younger brother of NBA basketball player Rui Hachimura, received racist messages over SNS. 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. Does the government exercise technical or legal control over internet infrastructure for the purposes of restricting connectivity? This would mean navigating the country's notoriously tricky censorship rules, but given that China was, at the time, home to an estimated 560 million gamers, the commercial appeal was irresistible. As 2021 nears its close, a spasm of book banning has spread surprisingly quickly among state and local officials. Independent online media and citizen media outlets have faced obstacles in their work, particularly due to the prevalence of the kisha club, or formal press association, system. Do national regulatory bodies that oversee service providers and digital technology fail to operate in a free, fair, and independent manner? In April 2018, the government asked internet service providers (ISPs) to block manga piracy sites, including Mangamura, AniTube!, and MioMio, prompting a public debate that highlighted tensions between the protection of intellectual property on one hand and users rights to private communications and the constitutional ban on censorship on the other.2 There are some reasons why it has been not modified since . In February 2019, the NICT, under the MIC, launched the NOTICE program,4 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 Mori resigned a week after the petition was created (see B8). Under the amended law, overseas companies are also obligated to notify the government of data breaches that involve sensitive information, cause financial injury, or affect more than 1,000 users. In February 2020, data communication was unavailable for a few hours for mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Mineo customers.9 22/2021, which came into force in February 2021, simplifies the licensing and certain other procedures required . 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 Today, however, this concept is, in our view, distorted and fought against. In a 2008 report by the UN Human Rights Committee, they expressed concern about discrimination against LGBT people in several areas, including housing. A new law makes "online insults" punishable with jail time! 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 Service providers and other technology companies can be required to aid the government in monitoring the communications of their users. The provider notifies the individual who posted the content and fulfills the request with the posters permissionor without it if the individual fails to respond. However, in October of 2012, the Japanese government stated that Article 23(1) was abolished and, therefore, same-sex . Hana Kimura was subject to harassment, primarily because of her gender, after she appeared on the reality television show "Terrace House. In May 2020, Kimura committed suicide. Some self-regulatory bodies also manage content and other issues. The original case was brought after a 2010 leak of police documents revealed that Muslims were subject to widespread monitoring for possible terrorist activity. 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? 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. Some observers said this was an attempt to control public discourse, though deletions were not widespread. For ISPs to block particular websites, they must monitor their customers' online activity to determine whether they are accessing the sites in question, which could violate the constitutional right to secrecy of communications.1 In June 2021, after the coverage period, the Fukuoka District Court sentenced Romi Hoshino to three years in prison and a fine of 10 million ($90,692) for allegedly operating the manga piracy website, Mangamura (see B1). Customers in small cities, towns, and villages paid an average monthly price of nearly 3,024 ($29.04). In 2016, the law was expanded to include fraud, theft, and child sexual abuse images.9 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. Do online journalists, commentators, and ordinary users practice self-censorship? While users have a choice of providers for internet services, certain companies dominate the market. Edit: is it true CERO does not need to look at PC games? In May 2020, MICs minister Takaichi Sanae, voiced her interest in amending the Provider Liability Limitation Law.3 Facebook reported 66 government requests involving 82 accounts between July and December 2020. In 2017, two people were sentenced to 18 months in prison, a three-year suspension, and a 500,000 ($4,534) fine for copyright-related offenses.2, Journalists who report on sensitive topics also face government and authorities pressure in the form of defamation lawsuits. Scientifically speaking, it depends on how the original censorship mosaic . Courts have continued to consider lawsuits from individuals requesting that search engines delink inaccurate or irrelevant material about them from public results, but the Supreme Court has laid down important guidance that set limits on such right to be forgotten removals.1 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. 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 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. In a survey by the Japan Medical Association, there were 700 incidents between October and December 2020 where medical staff treating COVID-19 patients were subject to online harassment.1 In April 2021, Reporters Without Borders also criticized the kisha club system in their annual World Press Freedom Index.4. After a three-month delay in rollout due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rakuten Mobile launched 5G services in September 2020.4 There are concerns that disclosure requests will be misused as a means to suppress the transmission of information.4. While both uploading and downloading pirated material was already illegal under the copyright law, with uploaders subject to 10 years imprisonment or fines of up to 10 million ($90,692), the version in effect since 2012 added two years in jail or fines of up to 2 million ($18,138) for downloading a single pirated file.4, In response to the attempted blocking of manga piracy sites in early 2018 (see B1), the Cultural Council of the Cultural Affairs Agency discussed amending the copyright law to expand the types of content that would be illegal to download or reproduce beyond pirated music and videos, to include material such as social media posts showing animated characters or personal blogs with icons containing copyrighted images.5 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. 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. Despite promises that the program will not target phones and personal computers, critics have expressed privacy concerns (see C5). 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. 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. Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and its toll on everyday life, the country has transitioned to new political leadership. Individuals can be sentenced to up to three years in prison or fines of up to 500,000 ($4,534). 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 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 Just as in ancient Grecian communities, the Roman ideal of good governance included shaping the character of the people. 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