There is a trending news story about the founder of Japan's content sharing site FC2 being arrested at Kansai International Airport. It is suspected of distributing obscene videos, but apparently, he had been internationally wanted since 2013, and this time his whereabouts have finally been secured.

What’s interesting is that this news is not just seen as a simple criminal case within Japanese communities but is sparking a broader debate. With Takahashi Rihiro’s arrest, the discussion around the "tool guilt theory" has resurfaced. Essentially, it questions whether the creators of platforms or tools should be held responsible when users misuse them.

Responses from Japanese internet users seem to be polarized. Some criticize the police for their slow response, while others present an intriguing perspective. The logic is that even if a criminal who kills someone with a gun is arrested, the CEO of the gun manufacturing company isn’t arrested, right? In other words, just because unedited content was shared on a platform, it doesn’t automatically mean the developer is guilty—that’s unreasonable.

This debate is actually familiar in the crypto industry as well. Think of the case of Ethereum’s mixing tool, Tornado Cash. The tool itself was technically neutral, but multiple people, including its founder Alexey Pertsev, were indicted on suspicion of money laundering. Pertsev was sentenced to 64 months in prison this May.

The arrest of FC2’s founder highlights this "tool guilt theory" once again. There’s a similar case from the past—the Winny case—where developers of P2P software were arrested and prosecuted because users used it for copyright infringement. Many are pointing out that we should avoid repeating such mistakes.

There are also calls to amend laws to allow developers to create more freely in Japan. It’s about clearly distinguishing the neutrality of the tools themselves from the responsibility of how they are used, which should be properly reflected in the law.

I believe this debate is not only relevant to the crypto industry but is a significant issue for the entire tech world. Aside from the issue of unedited content, how far platform developers should be held legally responsible will likely be a key point shaping the future of the internet environment.