In Japan, insulting someone on social media can get you jailed

(ETX Daily Up) – Go to jail, bypassing square one. In Japan, cyberbullying is taken very seriously. From now on, this offense is punishable by a prison sentence and a substantial fine. Yet, behind this new regulation, some warn of possible censorship. We tell you everything.

Will Japan put an end to online insults? In the land of the rising sun, cyberbullying is punishable by law and new, even harsher legislation has just been put in place. From now on, the accused persons may be sentenced to up to one year in prison and a fine of 300,000 yen, or 2,100 euros. A tougher sentence which previously included imprisonment for less than 30 days and a fine of less than 10,000 yen, or 70 euros. Victims will also have more time to attack their cyberstalkers with a limitation period extended to three years, compared to one year previously.

This new policy was adopted after the death of Hana Kimura, a 22-year-old wrestler and participant in the Japanese reality show “Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020” on Netflix. The young woman was the victim of intense cyberbullying which drove her to suicide in May 2020. In Japan, voices were raised following the very light sentences against two men accused of having insulted the young celebrity before his death. The Japanese Minister of Justice, Yoshihisa Furukawa, then called for tougher laws against cyberbullying, also requested by Hana Kimura’s mother.

However, if this new law can make it possible to limit cyberbullying, some have expressed their fears concerning legal censorship, thus preventing any criticism, in particular of politicians or any other public figures.

An important point raised and which will be analyzed in three years, when the said law will be examined again to find out whether or not freedom of expression has been restricted. “We believe it is important to work to eradicate malicious insults that can sometimes cause people to die,” Japan’s justice minister said at the press conference, insisting that this law was not intended to curtail freedom of expression. Case to follow.