Japan doubles down on laws for online insults with a one-year jail term and stiffer penalties

Photo by Sora Shimazaki from Pexels.

Online users in Japan are facing new, stiffer penalties for cyberbullying, which take effect today (7 July 2022).

According to Kyodo News, online insults and cyberbullying can earn a jail term of up to one year, or a JPY300,000 fine (~S$3,087). This is higher and harsher than the previous set of deterrence measures (detention up to 30 days or JPY10,000 fine, according to CNN).

The statute of limitations (the timeframe somebody can put forth a legal case) was also extended from one year to three years. This means that users can be liable for online insults uttered up to three years ago.

Japan’s laws around cyberbullying were instated after a high-profile case involving the suicide of reality TV star Hana Kimura, where cyberbullies who Tweeted insults before and after the 22-year-old took her life. The revised and harsher punishments for cyberbullying were tabled earlier this year, before taking effect today (7 July 2022).

Singapore also has laws against cyberbullying, where both civil and criminal cases are empowered by our Protection from Harassment Act. Both offline and online interactions apply under our local statutes, but with shorter maximum jail terms and higher maximum fines (up to six months imprisonment, or up to S$5,000 fine).

Source: Kyodo News