A panel from the Japanese government Ministry of Communications agreed last Thursday that cyberbullying victims should have certain rights when it comes to internet related companies that disclose personal information about digital bullying.
Shortly before her death, the Japanese wrestler Kimura wrote on Twitter that she received almost a hundred comments a day and that she felt hurt. Her tragic fate suddenly brought cyberbullying to the center of public debate. Japanese government wants to discuss how to change the law to make it easier to identify people who post hateful comments on social media, said Minister Takaichi.
Operators Of Digital Platforms Have A Responsibility To Prevent Cyberbullying
Experts also believe that operators of digital platforms have a responsibility to prevent cyberbullying. According to the current legal situation, internet service providers in Japan can delete anonymous online messages that violate human rights. Cyberbullying victims can also ask operators to disclose information about the originators of hate speech in order to take legal action against them. In many cases, people who practice cyberbullying are not found. Critics warn of a violation of the right to freedom of expression.
The panel agreed that victims should have the opportunity for website operators, social media operators and internet service providers to disclose defamatory comments in the event of cyberbullying. The panel also said that more dialogue on the issue is needed to overcome the relaxation of the procedural measures required for internet-related businesses to share users personal information so that people who post anonymously defamatory comments online can be identified.
So far, the current cyberbullying law does not leave much room for maneuver. Internet services are allowed to delete posts if they violate human rights. However, direct anonymous messages cannot be prevented. Victims have the option of requesting the disclosure of information from perpetrators. However, this often does little good. In many cases, the identity of the user cannot be determined since providers do not recognize a clear violation of human rights, which makes further prosecution impossible. It has therefore long been considered changing the legal situation.