Public opinion survey on child pornography in Japan
ChildFund Japan is pleased to announce the publication of the results of an awareness survey on child pornography. Similar surveys have been conducted by the Cabinet Office in Japan, the last one being in 2018, making this awareness survey the first full-scale public opinion survey (according to our organization), especially since generative AI such as ChatGPT has gained significant attention.
The survey asked about sexual expression of children that is not regulated by current laws and regulations (Child Pornography Prohibition Law) in Japan, and also asked whether AI-generated content should be subject to regulation.
The main findings from the survey are as follows:
- The percentage of respondents who support restrictions on child sexual expression is generally higher among women, and the percentage is higher with increasing age. On the other hand, the percentage is lower among young men.
- ”Freedom of expression” was the most common reason given for not supporting restrictions on non-existent children’s virtual content.
- About 70% of respondents answered “AI-generated content that involves child sexual expressions should be subject to regulation” or “should be subject to regulation somewhat,” while about 20% answered “don’t know.
Based on these results, the research team proposed the following:
- Awareness-raising on the risks of virtual content and AI-generated content is necessary, such as by increasing the number of articles in the media.
- We need guidelines to balance freedom of expression and children’s rights, such as creating a system similar to the rating system used in movies.
- It is necessary to create a fair and open environment in which children and young people can say ‘NO’ to virtual content through measures taken by the Basic Act on the Child and the Ordinances on the Rights of the Child.
The results of each question, analysis, recommendations, and the survey form are available here.