Japan Seeking to Govern Top News Web Sites

RemyBR writes "A Japanese government panel is proposing to govern "influential, widely read news-related sites as newspapers and broadcasting are now regulated." The panel, set up by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, said Internet service providers (ISPs) should be answerable for breaches of vaguer "minimum regulations" to guard against "illegal and harmful content." The conservative government, led by the Liberal Democratic Party, or LDP, is seeking to have the new laws passed by Parliament in 2010."

Re:Precedent already set: Japan powerless to rule

[dattaway]

just relocate its servers to the U.S. Due to the differing laws, they will not be able to subpoena IP logs or have any way of getting at the people that post to the site.

Sure, just post it to wikileaks.

Re:Never fails

[KPU]

Because controlling the press is the best way to prevent an authoritarian government?

Re:strange...

[Scrameustache]

"The conservative government, led by the Liberal Democratic Party"

There's something a little odd about that name, don't you think?

Sounds like the USA to me. "Liberal" and "Conservative", yet no matter which is elected the government expands in size and power. Clever, isn't it? That there might be no real difference between them is a fact about which we are more honest when it comes to other countries, apparently.

Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos!

Re:Can't resist...

[Goaway]

Well don't leave us hanging here! Were you married to L. Ron Hubbard, or Ikeda Daisuke?

Re:strange...

[Derosian]

Don't blame me I'm voting for Ron Paul in the primaries!