A plan to introduce prison terms as part of tougher penalties for online insults in Japan was approved Thursday by an advisory panel amid a growing need to tackle cyberbullying, the Justice Ministry said.
The panel also discussed amendments to the criminal procedure law so that defendants will be required to wear a GPS device while on bail if they are deemed to be a flight risk. Its proposals were submitted to Justice Minister Yoshihisa Furukawa the same day, according to the ministry.
Recent high-profile cases in Japan involving insults in cyberspace include the death of Hana Kimura, a professional wrestler and cast member on the popular Netflix reality show "Terrace House" in May 2020. The 22-year-old apparently committed suicide after receiving a barrage of hateful messages on social media.