Japan raises punishment for online insults

JIt has been just over two years since Hana Kimura took her own life. Kimura had been receiving racist abuse from online fans of the reality show Terrace House, on which she was a contestant. The government of Japan has taken a step towards possibly curbing such insults in the future.

According to CNN, the Japanese government passed legislation on Monday that raised the punishment for “online insults” to “up to one year in prison and a fine of 300,000 yen (approx. $2,200).”

The law had certain critics worried about the effect it would have on free speech in the country, so a provision was added to reassess the law in 3 years “to gauge its impact on freedom of expression.” Originally the punishment for “online insults” had been no more than 30 days in jail and a fine of 10,000 yen (approx. $75).