1. An Introduction to the Content Evaluation and Monitoring Association (EMA)
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2. The Role of EMA
EMA was established in April 2008 as an independent, self-regulatory organization in response to a recommendation by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications that third party organizations take the initiative in organizing systems for the sound development of mobile Internet sites, including social networking sites.
Providers of mobile Internet services used by minors apply voluntarily to EMA to have the content of their sites examined and certified as harmless to children. Such certification means that the particular site will no longer be subject to filtering – i.e. be removed from blacklists.
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3. Act on the Development of an Environment Providing Safe and Secure Internet Use for Young Persons (Act No. 79 of 2008)
The Act on the Development of an Environment Providing Safe and Secure Internet Use for Young Persons was enacted in June 2008 and entered into force on 1 April 2009.
The Act aims broadly to raise the level of Internet literacy among minors, minimize the chances of their being exposed to harmful online content, and support initiatives by the private sector to prevent access to such content by use of filtering.
Section 17 of the Act requires that providers of mobile Internet services provide filtering of content harmful to young persons for phones used by minors. However, parents and guardians may consent to the removal of such filtering from their children’s phones – i.e. choose to opt out of such services.
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4. Problems Associated with Blanket Filtering of Mobile Internet Sites
Indiscriminate filtering of mobile Internet sites could impede the sound development of the Internet.
The constitutional rights of users to freedom of speech and secrecy of communications could be infringed.
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5. The Activities of EMA
The formulation of standards taking into account the use of mobile Internet services by young persons
The evaluation, certification, and monitoring of the operations of mobile sites
The improvement of filtering for the purposes of the protection and healthy nurturing of young persons
Educational activities to raise levels of ICT (information and communication technologies) literacy
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6. Organizational Structure
EMA General Meeting
Full members
Supporting members
The Board of Directors, Standards Drafting Committee, and Evaluation and Monitoring Committee function independently of one another.
Secretariat
Board of Directors
Standards Drafting Committee
Evaluation and Monitoring Committee
Educational Programs Committee
Category Standards Working Group
Evaluation and Monitoring Office
Illegal Content Committee
Advertising Standards Working Group
Consideration of draft standards
Sound Community Working Group
Operations Committee
Expressions Standards Working Group
New Technologies Committee
Opinions and advice
Opinions and advice
Opinions and advice
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Advisory Council

7. Categories of Restricted Access
When evaluating mobile sites, EMA currently restricts minors’ access to a number of categories of content, including the following:
Communication – web chat, bulletin boards, IT-related bulletin boards
Gambling (excluding lotteries)
The occult
Adult interests – leisure magazines; “cosplay” (costume play); consumption of alcohol; information about alcoholic products; pictures of swimwear, underwear, or fetishes; descriptions of sex-related topics; smoking
Unlawful activity (e.g. drug abuse and crimes such as theft, murder, rape and prostitution)
Extreme speech (e.g. defamatory or inflammatory speech and inducements to commit suicide, run away from home, or engage in terrorist activity)
Adult sites
Dating
Grotesque content
Subjects such as homosexuality, religion, and politics are acceptable.
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8. Application to Smartphones and Other Devices
EMA’s certification system now applies to entire domains or sub-domains regardless of whether such content is accessed by mobile phone, smartphone, tablet PC, television set, portable game console, or other device.
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9. Some Final Remarks
Despite the fact that EMA’s system of assessment and certification of mobile Internet sites is still in its infancy, it has already made a great contribution to the sound development of social networking sites and led to a significant decrease in the number of child victims of crimes perpetrated through them.
In the future, we at EMA will continue to strive to address the many challenges presented by the constant developments in technology and society in order to ensure that the children of Japan have the appropriate levels of access and Internet literacy to enjoy the benefits of this medium safely.
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10. Copyright (C) Content Evaluation Monitoring Association All rights reserved.