Society | Sep 08

Vaccine chief Taro Kono draws flak for blocking Twitter critics

Japan’s COVID-19 vaccination chief, Taro Kono, on Tuesday faced a backlash for blocking scores of Twitter users who criticized him, a move the contender for next prime minister defended as protecting himself from online abuse.

A hashtag meaning “I’ve been blocked by Mr. Kono” in Japanese was trending with more than 33,000 tweets, with some users expressing frustration that someone in his position as a Cabinet minister is unwilling to engage in dialogue.

Kono is expected to run in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership race on Sept. 29 after Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said he will not seek re-election.

Other users leapt to Kono’s defense, saying those who had been blocked must have needlessly provoked the 58-year-old who, with more than 2.3 million followers, has the largest Twitter presence of any member of parliament.

Addressing the matter at a news conference on Tuesday, Kono said he was well within his rights to block users who target him with hurtful language.

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