TOKYO: The Japanese government on Thursday (Jan 22) urged major social media operators to respond quickly to requests to remove false or misleading information related to the Feb 8 general election, stressing the importance of a fair election, Kyodo News Agency reported.
The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry made the request under the information distribution platform law, which came into force last April, obliging social media operators to take measures to address illegal and harmful information on the internet, such as defamation.
Operators should "fulfil their social responsibility as service providers,” Communications Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said in a statement, warning that misinformation could lead to malicious slander against candidates.
Hayashi also urged voters to "verify information rather than accepting it at face value.”
The Information Distribution Platform Act mandates large-scale platform operators to set up points of contact to receive requests for the deletion of harmful information, disclose deletion standards and make swift decisions on such requests. It includes penalties for violations.
Japan is holding its first House of Representatives election since October 2024.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the lower house on Friday for a snap election, with official campaigning set to begin on Tuesday. - Bernama-Kyodo
