Repeatedly "like" defamation tweets without admitting defamation Tokyo District Court

The Tokyo District Court said, "Like is very bad." It is an abstract and expressive act with various meanings, and it is not illegal unless there are special circumstances. "

Journalist Shiori Ito said that the tweets posted by an unspecified number of people that hurt herself were repeatedly "liked" and spread to more than 100,000 followers, damaging her honor. , Sugita, a member of the House of Representatives of the Liberal Democratic Party, was seeking compensation.

In the judgment on the 25th, Tokyo District Court Judge Takaaki Muto said that the act of pressing "Like" is often used to show positive and positive feelings, but it is used for bookmarks and memorandums. It is a very abstract and expressive act with various meanings, and it is not illegal unless there are special circumstances. "

In addition, he pointed out that "The intention and purpose of Mr. Sugita's" Like "is not clear, and the number of times is not small, 25, but it can not be said that he repeated it as he did," he said. I dismissed Mr. Ito's complaint, saying that he was not accepted.

Plaintiff Shiori Ito "Easy to hurt personal dignity"

After the ruling, plaintiff Shiori Ito said in a press conference, "If pressing'Like'does not hurt you, it would be easy to discriminate and hurt your dignity, which is scary." He indicated his intention to appeal.

Representative Sugita Mio "Relevant Judgment"

Mio Sugita commented, "I take it as a valid decision."

Expert "It is important to respect others and do it carefully"

Shinichi Yamaguchi, an associate professor at the International University of Japan, who is familiar with SNS's injuries, said, "'Like' not only shows support, but is often pushed for the purpose of saving to read back the post later, on Twitter. It's a culture-based decision. "

Regarding the fact that the act of pressing "Like" was disputed in the trial, "'Like' may be displayed on the follower's timeline, so it is not without diffusion. Not only direct posting but also'Like' It is important to respect others and be careful when doing things like likes and retweets. People with many followers have a great impact on society, so more caution is required. "