Japan Forms Group to Protect Juveniles from Social Media Issues

Tokyo, Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Children and Families Agency has set up a working group to discuss possible regulation of social media services to prevent juveniles from being caught up in problems via the internet. The group will mull measures while taking into account a revision of the law to improve the environment for young people’s safe and secure internet use, which restricts the browsing of harmful information by such people. The group, expected to release an interim report in July, will have opportunities to exchange opinions with junior and senior high school students. Under the law, information encouraging juveniles to commit crimes or suicide, as well as that including obscene depictions or cruel content, is defined as information harmful to juveniles. The law seeks to shield those under 18 from such information mainly through filtering technologies. But there have been many cases in which juveniles were ensnared in “yami baito” illicit jobs, sexual crimes and consumer problems through their use of social media, video streaming services, online games and apps. There has been an increase in risks that access restrictions alone cannot address. Some foreign countries have taken action to enhance countermeasures. Australia put into force a law to restrict the use of social media by children under 16. The working group will discuss whether regulations should be tightened, how to verify the age of the user if regulations are toughened and how to ensure the effectiveness of measures. It will hold hearings with members of related government organizations, content creators and psychiatrists, as well as meetings with junior and senior high school students in spring and summer. Young people will be asked about their current use of social media and generative artificial intelligence tools, as well as their opinions as to whether stricter regulations are necessary. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]