Nogizaka46 announces establishment of “reporting hotline” to combat slander and libel, strict stance “to protect Nogizaka46”

Nogizaka46 updated their official website on the 3rd. They announced that they have set up a reporting hotline to deal with illegal posts such as slander.

Sakurazaka46 and Hinatazaka46 also announced the establishment of the hotline on their official websites, and attached a link to the hotline.

In their announcement, Nogizaka46 wrote, “Thank you for supporting Nogizaka46,” and explained, “We have been asking and warning people to refrain from slandering the group and its members and spreading unfounded rumors. However, such posts and comments continue to appear, especially on social media. Recently, we have confirmed cases where people are not only collecting rumors of unknown veracity, but are spreading them as if they were true without checking their veracity”.

They further explained, “In cases that are deemed to be illegal or malicious, we consult with our legal counsel and take appropriate legal measures such as disclosing sender information, and disclosure orders have been granted by the court in several cases, including the above case. In cases such as the above, not only the person who made the post, but also those who “like” the post or post a quote from it can be illegal acts such as insults and defamation”, and called on fans to “once again, if you find a post that contains slander against Nogizaka46, please refrain from spreading it.”

They continued, “In order to strengthen our response to posts such as the above, we have set up an official reporting system.” “In order to protect Nogizaka46, we intend to take an even stricter stance and thoroughly deal with such posts, considering all possible measures, including not only civil procedures but also criminal charges”, and concluded by saying, “We ask for your continued support for Nogizaka46.”