Following countless claims that Twitter has become a breeding ground for hate speech, the social networking service has started to take measures against hate speech on their platform over the past two years. After several events in September, however, it's clear that Twitter Japan is still struggling to answer the needs of Japanese users who face harassment on it.
In addition to the Hateful Conduct Policy the service introduced in December 2015 that prohibits discriminatory attacks or violent threats, Twitter made it easier for users to report abusive content in November 2016. While these efforts have shown some success in Europe, the United States and other English-speaking countries, Twitter Japan has had to review its approach when it comes to regulating hate speech following an incident with popular model and actress Kiko Mizuhara.
Mizuhara, who is of American and Zainichi Korean descent, became a target of hate speech on Twitter in early September after she appeared in a series of promotional Twitter posts by Suntory's Premium Malts account. The advertising campaign features domestic TV personalities enjoying beer, but this seemingly harmless content did not protect Mizuhara from receiving abuse online. Claiming that she is pretending to be Japanese or that she is anti-nationalistic, users on Twitter flooded the replies section with comments that are within the definition of hate speech, at least according to Twitter's own policy. The incident was so overwhelming that Mizuhara made a statement on her personal Twitter account calling for the end of discrimination based on race and gender.