Japan: Bill amending Act on Measures against Infringement of Rights through the Distribution of Information by Specified Telecommunications including content moderation authority governance was adopted by House of Councillors

On 10 May 2024, the Bill amending the Act on Measures against Infringement of Rights through the Distribution of Information by Specified Telecommunications was adopted by the House of Councillors. The Bill expands the supervisory authority of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) over digital content moderation practices, was adopted by the House of Councillors. The 2024 amendment changed the Law’s title from the Act on the Limitation of Liability for Damages of Specified Telecommunications Service Providers and the Right to Demand Disclosure of Identification Information of the Sender. Under the amended Law, MIC is empowered to designate large-scale specified telecommunications service providers based on monthly user thresholds and to oversee their compliance with content moderation obligations. The Ministry may require such providers to register their business, appoint local representatives in Japan if foreign-based, and submit detailed reports on their handling of rights-infringing content. Providers must also publish moderation standards, notify content senders when removal occurs, and file annual transparency reports. To enforce compliance, the Ministry may issue recommendations, administrative orders, and initiate investigations.