Japan introduces up to one-year jail time for cyberbullying

Folks discovered responsible of cyberbullying in Japan now withstand a 12 months in jail underneath guidelines applied Thursday, which had been toughened up after the suicide of a actuality star who had been trolled on-line.

Pink-haired skilled wrestler Hana Kimura, a 22-year-old forged member of the hit Netflix sequence “Terrace Home” died by suicide in 2020.

The revised laws follows a passionate marketing campaign by her mom, and now imposes fines of as much as 300,000 yen ($2,200) or a 12 months in jail — a rise from earlier penalties of as much as 10,000 yen in fines or 30 days detention.

The beefed-up punishments are supposed to clarify that cyberbullying is a prison offence, mentioned Justice Minister Yoshihisa Furukawa.

“It’s our perception that it is vital for us to work to eradicate spiteful insults that may push individuals to their deaths at instances,” he advised a press convention on Tuesday.

Although the problem of cyberbullying had been raised in Japan earlier than Kimura’s dying, the wrestler’s suicide prompted home and worldwide scrutiny and put stress on lawmakers to take motion.

However some free speech advocates and authorized consultants are against the brand new guidelines and have warned the federal government to make sure the more durable regulation just isn’t used to focus on free speech and political criticism.

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