Japan imposes jail sentences for online hate
Cyberbullying Law
In Japan, hate comments can be punished for up to a year in prison. A new law aims to punish cyberbullying more severely.
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Anyone who posts hate comments or insults online in Japan will face harsher penalties in the future. A change in the law came into effect on Thursday, which provides for prison terms of up to one year and hefty fines of up to 300,000 yen (about 2,170 euros) for cyberbullying.
The reason for the change in the penal code was the tragic death of the Japanese professional wrestler Hana Kimura. The 22-year-old known from the Netflix show “Terrace House” died in 2020, the cause of death is assumed to be suicide.
Before her death, Kimura wrote on Twitter that she received nearly 100 hate comments a day and felt hurt. After her death, two men were fined 9,000 yen each. Criticism of the low sentence that followed was the decisive factor in tightening the law.
In addition to the increase in imprisonment and a fine – previously the maximum penalty was 30 days in prison or 10,000 yen (approx. 72 euros) – the statute of limitations for cyberbullying will also be extended to three years.
According to Justice Minister Yoshihisa Furukawa, it is “Important that we work to erase hateful insults that can sometimes drive people to their deaths.” The change in the law makes it clear that cyberbullying is a criminal offense. Critics fear that the reform could restrict free speech in the political debate.
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Reference-www.pc-magazin.de