A 2011 law criminalized the creation or distribution of computer viruses without a legitimate reason.13 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. The MIC requested that four industry associations monitor false or unsubstantiated content circulating about the disaster online. Despite this pushback, the MIC supported NTT.5 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 After NTT Docomo became a wholly owned subsidiary of NTT in December 2020,4 Censorship in Japan has taken many forms throughout the history of the country. In April 2019, the Macnica Networks Corporation, an information-technology trading firm, stated that groups reportedly connected to China were suspected of targeting private companies; it cited alleged efforts by Chinese cyberespionage group APT10 to hack Japanese defense companies in 2018.6, In January 2020, the Mitsubishi Electric Corporation disclosed that that it experienced massive cyberattacks in June 2019. The law obliges agents to notify targets of wiretaps after investigations are concluded and inform the Diet about the number they implement annually. During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical personnel were also targets for harassment on social media. The amendments expanded the scope of personal data and eliminated restrictions on the laws extraterritorial applications. Some private companies occasionally accept the governments requests to remove content. The court has up to six months to decide whether to order a content provider to disclose the senders information, and can also order access providers to retain senders information during the proceedings. The J-NSC remained active during the coverage period.2. 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. However, most online media remain small and community based.1 Japan has three major mobile operatorsau, a KDDI brand; NTT Docomo; and SoftBank. In one significant cyberattack against civil society organizations, at least 33 antinuclear citizens groups were targeted in 2013.5 A new law makes "online insults" punishable with jail time! Such posts have attacked critics of the LDP government and have at times initiated negative campaigns against opposition lawmakers.1 Asymmetric regulation, which creates stricter rules for providers with a higher market share, has helped diversify the industry.6, Beginning in 2014, the government required mobile service providers to unlock SIM cards at user request; this has made it easier for users to switch providers and use third-party prepaid SIM cards.7 It was not clear how much of the monitoring involved digital as opposed to physical surveillance.14. In a 2008 report by the UN Human Rights Committee, they expressed concern about discrimination against LGBT people in several areas, including housing. A week after the petition launched, it was revealed that Mori would resign as the head of the Olympic Organizing Committee.3, Women in Japan have also mobilized online through the #KuToo movement, which opposes a requirement that women wear high heels in the workplace. 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. However, harassment and intimidation, particularly against women and individuals with at least one Black parent, persist. That same month, the ministry disclosed that Kobe Steel, NEC, and aerial surveying company Pasco were also targeted by cyberattacks between 2016 and 2018.9, Public attention to cybersecurity threats has increased since mid-2015, when 1.25 million citizens were affected by the release of personal information obtained by hackers who illegally accessed Japans pension system using an email virus.10, In 2020, as Japanese companies shifted to telework during the pandemic, the number of ransomware attacks surged to unprecedented levels, shutting down operations and paralyzing computer and email systems. In addition, individuals who knowingly receive secrets from an administrative organ risk up to five years imprisonment if the disclosures are found to be intentional, and one year for disclosures made through negligence.1 Individuals can be sentenced to up to three years in prison or fines of up to 500,000 ($4,534). Are online sources of information controlled or manipulated by the government or other powerful actors to advance a particular political interest? The platform provided data in 42 percent of cases.17. No ordinance was proposed or passed at the end of the coverage period. Access to the internet remains relatively equal across different segments of the population. 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 Police can request these details, along with usage logs, if they detect illegal online activity. YouTubers and Instagram personalities have also become increasingly influential in recent years. Does the online information landscape lack diversity and reliability? Though exceptional, such incidents still exert a chilling effect on Japanese online expression. There are few obstacles to internet access, no blocks on websites, and the legal framework provides strong protections for various forms of expression. In other words, even after the new law goes into effect, a . Scientifically speaking, it depends on how the original censorship mosaic . 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. Does the government exercise technical or legal control over internet infrastructure for the purposes of restricting connectivity? 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. Major mobile service providers require customers to present identification documents in order to subscribe. 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. 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. Censorship has followed the free expression of men and women like a shadow throughout history. In 2002, industry associations produced guidelines designed to protect ISPs from legal liability within the jurisdiction of the Japanese courts. In June 2020, Japan passed amendments to the Act on the Protection of Personal Information. Article 2. 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 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 Some observers said this was an attempt to control public discourse, though deletions were not widespread. Other laws regulate online activity but are not known to have resulted in abuse or disproportionate penalties. 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 Masayuki Nakamoto, 43, was said to have made about 11 million yen ($96,000) from peddling over 10,000 processed porn clips, and was formally accused of selling ten hardcore photos for 2,300 yen ($20). However, some digital activities require separate registration. Some of those arrested were fined 100,000 ($906).5 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 law was passed in June 2020 and took effect in January 2021.7, A 2013 revision of the Public Offices Election Act lifted long-standing restrictions on the use of the internet for election campaigns. In 2016, the IHC began providing reports to Safe-line, a website maintained by the SIA.17 Every country has, at one time or another, been guilty of grievous acts of censorship. Washington, DC 20036, Scores are based on a scale of 0 (least free) to 100 (most free). 2. The Emperor shall be the symbol of the State and of the unity of the People, deriving his position from the will of the people with whom resides sovereign power. In March 2020, Japanese central bank Sumitomo Mitsui abolished the official dress code,5 Under voluntary guidelines drafted by four ISPs in 2005, service providers automatically inform police of internet users identified on websites that endorse suicide, and comply with law enforcement requests for information related to acts of self-harm.13 See all data, scores & information on this country or territory. LINE reported that 80 percent of the global law enforcement requests for user data that it received between July and December 2020 came from Japanese entities. Under the law, all online dating services must register with the police, verify their customers ages with a drivers license or credit card, and delete or block content that appears to involve someone under 18; most services voluntarily monitor messages in real time to ensure compliance. As 2021 nears its close, a spasm of book banning has spread surprisingly quickly among state and local officials. and the online organization of large demonstrations and protests against nuclear energy. Authorities have used the law to convict the operators of manga piracy site Mangamura (see C2 and C3). 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. The 2014 state secrets law, which covers national security issues, may make surveillance abuses harder to document (see C1 and C2). For this article, we consider these bodies to be government entities. After a three-month delay in rollout due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rakuten Mobile launched 5G services in September 2020.4 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. Censorship can be a constant factor, or it can be enacted during emergencies (or particular . GR No. The future of an independent NHK is crucial given the increasing demand for impartial, objective and trusted sources of information. In 2017, the UNs special rapporteur for freedom of expression criticized the kisha club system.3 There are concerns that disclosure requests will be misused as a means to suppress the transmission of information.4. Ahead of the Okinawa gubernatorial election in September 2018, misinformation again spread online.4 Service providers and other technology companies can be required to aid the government in monitoring the communications of their users. 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. Observers have accused MIC officials and the prime minister's office of trying to restrict or influence content under the broadcast law.3, There are substantial concerns that MIC officials are increasingly influenced by business executives who use gifts to garner favor for their policies from government officials. 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 Three men and three women, who acted as instructors and executors alongside Hoshino, were also convicted of violating the Copyright Act.1 The reporting claimed that the government deployed a clandestine online surveillance program, dubbed MALLARD, to observe communications passing between satellites.16 At the same time, the actions depicted onscreen, and the wider themes of the story, are entirely free of any restrictions. He pleaded guilty to violating Japan's copyright and obscenity laws, NHK reported this month. A number of initiatives sprang up in response to the 2011 Fukushima disaster. 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 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. (Feb. 22, 2021) On December 30, 2020, Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin signedFederal Law No. In April 2021, Reporters Without Borders also criticized the kisha club system in their annual World Press Freedom Index.4. Share Share. 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 . Despite promises that the program will not target phones and personal computers, critics have expressed privacy concerns (see C5). 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). 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. Today, however, this concept is, in our view, distorted and fought against. 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