Criminal law was originally created to deal with tangible acts and objects. However, in modern society, where intangible information and digital technologies play a major role, new legal approaches are needed. We spoke with Professor Yoshiaki Nishigai of the Graduate School of Social Sciences—who holds an engineering degree but now specializes in ‘information criminal law’—about cybersecurity, cyberbullying, and how criminal law should evolve for the metaverse era. Japan’s criminal laws lag behind cybercrime What kind of research are you conducting in the area of cybersecurity? I am researching what kinds of actions in cyberspace should be subject to criminal penalties to ensure cybersecurity. For example, the concept of ‘unauthorized access’ is a particularly complex and nuanced area of study, with multiple interpretations and implications. I also examine how criminal law should respond to offenses that infringe upon the information systems and networks of companies and organizations—not only in cyberspace but also in the physical world. For example, we need to … Continue reading Cybercrime, the Metaverse, and the Law: Shaping Cybersecurity for the Way We Live