Take our user survey and make your voice heard.
We live in unprecedented times, as I’m sure you well know by now. But one of the most striking changes in recent years is how ubiquitous and constant our use of technology is. While some of us remember being in our early 20s by the time we had our own cell phone, now it’s something of a necessity for people at younger and younger ages. This brings its own challenges, of course. How can you help children and teenagers stay safe on the Internet while respecting their privacy?
This issue is further complicated by how many phones nowadays come with cameras, and where there are cameras, there are selfies.
While snapping a cute photograph of yourself isn’t a crime, some younger people might find themselves tempted to take photographs where they’re in a state of undress…or in a worst-case scenario, be directed to do so by an outside party. Once a compromising photograph like this exists it could be sent to other people, uploaded online, or even discovered through hacking, and so the government is expressly encouraging phone carriers to implement technology that can restrict inappropriate selfies.
There are already rules in place for using your phone for upskirt photography and other misdemeanors.
The request comes as part of the government’s most recently declared 5th Basic Plan on Measures for Providing Safe and Secure Internet Use for Young People. This plan includes such initiatives as education programs in schools to help young people acclimatize to the digital world, awareness campaigns regarding harmful content and predatory practices that are present online, and the promotion of ways to deal with uniquely Internet-based problems like cyberbullying.
Despite their good intentions, this announcement has largely been met with sarcasm and raised eyebrows.
“The heck? Who decides what counts as inappropriate? Anyway, what about the normal camera?”
“This is pointless. You can just use another camera to take a photo and send it. We’re still a long way away from finding an actual solution to this issue.”
“Isn’t this a weird way to handle the problem?”
“This is stupid beyond belief. Is the Japanese government doing okay?”
It’s worth noting that some cell phone carriers have already implemented technology like this even ahead of the announcement, though it’s still unclear how successful said technologies are at efficiently filtering the “inappropriate” content from the “appropriate”. With worries about censorship thrown into the mix, this selfie-restriction rule seems set to be a controversial initiative however well it’s implemented.
Source: Yomiuri Shimbun Online via Otakomu
Read more stories from SoraNews24.
-- New anti-chikan cellphone stickers let you mark train gropers with sign of shame
-- Japanese photographer’s sage advice highlights the hidden dangers female cosplayers face
-- iPhone gets stolen in Spain, Japanese owner gets hit with massive bill for $9,800
- External Link
- https://soranews24.com/2021/06/17/no-more-selfies-government-pleads-with-cellphone-carriers-to-curb-inappropriate-photos/
8 Comments
Login to comment
Mark
Remember the days where Marijuana was a NO NO, or a mini skirt was a NO NO, or a high heels was a NO NO, or putting your hair up was a NO NO, this is just another example how some people just can't adjust fast enough to new things, or ideas, give it another 5 or 10 years and it will all be just fine.
If a teen chooses to photograph him or her self dresses or not that is a choice they make , and they will learn from their actions , but to restrict it and panic about it is a violation of their RIGHTS of freedom of expression.
Confusius
So who's is going to tell them that you first need a lot of inappropriate photos to train a system to detect such photos? And then you need some more in order to verify that the system works. Where are the companies supposed to get such photos from? I guess they could always ask the politicians to provide some of their collection...
Good, so they at least got this part right. Education is the way to approach such problems.
ArtistAtLarge
How is this the tech companies fault and why would they have any repsonsibility or even be able to do anything about it?
Too many people think tech is somehow magical and engage in magical thinking about it's capabilities.
snowymountainhell
The JGov ‘just doesn’t get it’, …at all, … about Everthing!
How many times, @virusrex 7:19am, in the last 24 months, have you posted similar, ‘simple & logical observations’ about a variety of topics affecting Japan?:
They are way “Past Due” and it’s well past time for them to go!
snowymountainhell
*Weren’t “Stop facing fingertips to the camera!”* as depicted in today’s accompanying photo, *last years’ critical smart phone camera issue the government was warning everyone about about?*
dagon
“This is pointless. You can just use another camera to take a photo and send it. We’re still a long way away from finding an actual solution to this issue.”
When is the LDP going to stop embarrassing itself with their digital illiteracy? Probably when they stop receiving those tax yen, so not in the forseeable future.
virusrex
The "solution" suggested betrays a deep ignorance about technology and the problem they are trying to solve, seeing how the other measures included in the plan are much more reasonable it feels like it was included because someone of importance liked it even if everybody else realized it was just nonsense.