TOKYO (Kyodo) — More than half of Japan’s sports bodies have taken action against the non-consensual capturing and sharing of sexualized images of athletes, a survey by the Japan Sports Agency has found.

As of Wednesday, it was four years since the Japanese Olympic Committee and seven other sports organizations issued a joint statement on the subject. Of the 126 organizations surveyed between April and June, 62 of the 113 that responded said they were implementing countermeasures.

Many have taken active measures at venues, such as designating specific areas for photographers and issuing permits, as well as asking event staff and security guards to monitor spectators.

Forty-two organizations have also set up consultation and reporting offices for athletes.

The Japanese Judo Federation has banned taking or using videos or photos that appear intended to harass athletes or tarnish their reputations.

The Japan Para Volleyball Association has banned the use of telephoto lenses without permission and posts notices reminding spectators not to post photos emphasizing the bodies of athletes, especially those of women, who have no nothing to do with sport or competition.

The Japan Sports Agency has compiled a list of issues that occurred while fixing this issue. These include the difficulty of preventing illicit photography in large, busy venues and identifying increasingly miniaturized photographic equipment.

Judging whether videos or photos are taken for unscrupulous reasons is another headache.

A new anti-voyeurism law was enacted last year, but it does not apply to athletes wearing sportswear due to the difficulty of determining any sexual intent of those capturing images. There are, however, strong calls to change the law.

Some sporting bodies which have not yet reacted have cited the lack of human resources. A sports agency official urged organizations to “start with whatever they can,” as that alone “would go some way to providing athletes with some sense of security.”

Awareness of the topic has generally increased in recent years, as evidenced by the German artistic gymnastics team wearing a full body suit to send a message at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Sporting goods maker Mizuno Corp. has developed a material for its clothing that eliminates illicit photos taken with infrared cameras ahead of the Paris Olympics. There, the Japanese women’s volleyball, table tennis and hockey teams have all used the technology in their uniforms.

JOC Secretary General Mitsugi Ogata believes that “even greater engagement is needed” on this issue.

“We must fight this case not only by changing the law, but also by creating a department specialized in combating cybercrime and voyeurism,” said lawyer Sakura Kamitani.