Japan has enacted new rules governing the use of social media during elections, requiring artificial intelligence-generated images and videos to be clearly labelled and prohibiting the spread of false or misleading information about candidates, the country’s internal affairs minister announced on Tuesday.
The rules, approved by parliament on Monday, will take effect in March and forbid internet users and platforms from spreading fake or distorted information about candidates. Social media platforms will also be required to submit annual compliance reports to the government on how they are implementing the new requirements.
Internal Affairs Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, whose ministry oversees both elections and telecommunications, told a press conference that the rules were essential to protecting the integrity of the country’s democratic process.
“We believe that this is extremely important from the perspective of ensuring the fairness of elections,” he said.
The reforms follow concerns over the alleged use of AI-generated content to discredit candidates during the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership contest in 2025 and the parliamentary elections held in February.
Japanese government officials said, in drafting the new rules, they needed to strike a balance between free speech and the sanctity of democratic elections.
The law places responsibility on both individual social media users and the platforms themselves to prevent misinformation from influencing electoral outcomes.
(The Whistler)