Stories about Japan
Japanese Police Are Spying on Muslims, Despite The Constitution
The Supreme Court's dismissal of a case questioning the legality of putting Muslims under surveillance based on their religion alone brought a long series of court battles to an end.
What Does Japan’s State Secrecy Act Mean for Free Expression?
Japan’s controversial State Secrecy Act became law on Wednesday, December 10. The law imposes strict penalties on leakers of state secrets.
Controversy Smolders Over Japan's State Secrecy Bill
An unusually diverse range of groups are making urgent last-minute appeals against Japan's State Secrecy Protection Bill. Meanwhile, a ruling party leader compared protesters to "terrorists".
Japan’s ‘State Secrets’ Bill Passes Lower House
Japan's House of Representatives passed the controversial State Secrecy Protection Bill on Tuesday, November 26 despite criticism from journalists and human rights advocates.
Protesters, Journalists Speak Out Against Japan's National Secrecy Bill
The controversial bill seeks to impose tougher penalties for leaking national secrets. Critics fear it could curtail media freedom and the right to information.
How LINE Censors Users in China (and How to Get Around it)
New research from the Citizen Lab investigates government pressures on Asian companies developing instant messaging apps, information controls on LINE apps, and implications for users.
VIDEO: How the Trans-Pacific Partnership Could Hurt Internet Users
A new animated video explains how the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a massive trade agreement being negotiated by the United States and ten governments from around the Pacific region, could have alarming consequences for Internet users.
Japan: The Police Don't Want You to Use Tor [UPDATE]
According to an April 18 news report, Japan's National Police Agency may soon urge Internet Service Providers to 'voluntarily' block the use of Tor, the anonymous online communication system. The NPA report carrying this announcement has not been formally released; whether NPA will actually put this move into practice remains unknown.
OpenNet Initiative Releases Results on Filtering in Asia
From the Great Firewall to the Myanmar Wide Web, Asia is well-known for its practices in Internet filtering. China has long taken the lead in blocking Web sites, filtering sites...
Japan: Bloggers respond to new filtering measures
Over the past week, Japan's major mobile phone operators have commenced filtering web access on mobile phones contracted to minors (users under 18 years of age), following on legislation introduced...
Japan: Major Parties Cooperate to Legislate Regulation of “Harmful” Internet Content
Japanese bloggers have been making noise the past few days [ja] in reaction to two separate bills, submitted first by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP) and next...
Japan: Mixi in hot water over terms of use revision
Japan's hugely popular social networking site Mixi is in hot water this week after news [ja] that a proposed revision to its Terms of Use (ToU), to become effective as...
Japan: Final Report on Internet Regulation
The idea that a country boasting one of the world's most active net cultures, with possibly the world's largest blogosphere and almost certainly its largest online forum, would attempt to...
