'Terrace House' star's death sparks calls for cyberbullying rules

More important than cyber bullying is the face to face bullying, that’s happens in schools, work or other places, this kind of bullying is accepted and need to be eradicated

Nowadays, cyberbullying is way worse because a lot of cyberbullies have the entire digital footprint and data of the people they are cyberbullying. So, the cyberbullies can really mess with their targets on another level. It is cyberbullying on steroids.

Stop bullying ? I've heard this time without number before. Bullying is almost part of their DNA which may require some radical surgery. Yet, their very nature is extremely brittle as is evidenced by this and many other similar incidents before. I'll wait for the same refrain coming shortly again.

Is it too much to ask people to have some empathy? Do the bullied sometimes become the bullies?

Bullying affects people in different ways. We cannot predict the outcome. Cyber bullying can be particularly vicious as there's often no consequences - except to the victim.

So long as it doesn't involve statements that call for direct bodily harm or something similar, don't legislate online speech. It is a very slippery slope.

Depends. Most sites have rules about, for example, threatening other contributors etc. Surely that kind of behaviour shouldn't be tolerated?

Just what Japan needs- more rules and regulations written and unwritten. Better if parents take responsibility and teach their children true manners, respect, kindness and compassion. We don’t need some bureaucrats spouting out more useless rules and regulations

Its not cyberbullying that is the problem. Its the deep seated crushingly vapid group think mentality. Its when everyone gangs up on you and there is not a voice of reason to be heard anywhere. Everyone parrots and reinforces the group think line. This is what Japan is guilty of here.

Uh how about just deleting your account? Twitter, FB and other platforms don't force you to join. You are under no obligation to post food pic and other banalities about your life to complete strangers. Idiots writing to idiots. Smgdfh a million times.

The problem with “hate speech” is that it is not defined enough and who will decide what is hate speech?

too many people have an agenda they want to push and will wield “hate speech” as a weapon to silence their opponents.

I will not defend cyberbullying, but we do not know whether Kimura got it more than any other celebrity. We also do not know what support Kimura was getting, whether she had family, friends, an agent, people connected to Terrace House etc. helping her and how vulnerable she was based on her personality and mental state.

This will sound unsympathetic, but Terrace House is a minor show in Japan. I bet other better-known celebs in Japan who have been top story on every wide show on tv, Becky, Noriko Sakai, Erika Sawajiri, etc. will have had it much worse. I do not write this as justification of negative comments online, only as a warning to anyone who thinks they can live a public life without nasty abuse from others. You are playing with fire.

People don't know the difference between "free speech" and the ability to lie, abuse and threaten others.

You have the right to free speech. That right does not necessarily include the right to anonymity. Anonymity is not the same thing as privacy.

@oldman_13 - 'Free speech' is your new buzzword is it?

Anyway, as it seems you just like parroting the things he spouts, I thought it necessary to point out to you that the idea of 'free speech' doesn't mean you have carte blanche to say anything you want, anywhere, and at any time.

Child pornography, defamation, hate speech, and inciting crimes are 4 examples of crimes you can't get away with by claiming free speech - and rightly so.

If you want to be a paragon of virtue, and argue in favour of freedom of speech, then you have to acknowledge the cases where you can't just say anything you want. The clear problem you have there, and the likely reason you won't do that, is that your beloved POTUS regularly falls foul of 3 of the 4 examples I've given above.

Maybe don't live your entire life on camera? Nobody cyberbullies me.

first world countries have too much suicide rate.. their tolerance for these things are too low... looks like they need to learn from 3rd world countries.

To a man with a hammer, every problem looks like a nail that needs to be pounded. To the government, every problem looks like a law that needs to be made (on top of already countless laws).

Not every problem can or should be addressed by new laws. Each new law deprives a little more liberty from the citizens and gives a little more power to the state. The state takes advantage of people when they are at heightened emotions (or frightened) to pass more laws and consolidate more power.

A law like this will not solve any problems, but will create some serious ones. Imagine going to jail for "bullying" Abe. Does anyone want that kind of state?

It is past time that cyberbullies should not only be silenced but be outed.

I don't even know her... but anyway RIP.

But any reforms are likely to move much slower in Japan.

This.

Celebrities shouldn't get special citizen status.

Yeah they're not real people. They don't deserve compassion, because they don't have real human emotions.

Why are they trying to legislate free speech?

Sure, I understand hateful words can affect people, but at the same time freedom of speech is most important. So long as it doesn't involve statements that call for direct bodily harm or something similar, don't legislate online speech. It is a very slippery slope.