By The South Asia Times

TOKYO — Japan's parliament has passed new legislation aimed at combating election-related misinformation on social media, introducing stricter rules for online platforms and requiring greater transparency around artificial intelligence-generated campaign content, according to Kyodo News.

The bill, approved by the National Diet of Japan on Monday, seeks to preserve fairness in elections by discouraging the spread of false information about political candidates while protecting freedom of expression and ensuring voters have access to accurate information.

Under the new law, internet users are prohibited from disseminating false claims or misleading information about candidates that could undermine the integrity of an election. It also requires users to disclose when images or videos shared during election campaigns have been created or altered using artificial intelligence.

The legislation further places new responsibilities on social media platform operators, directing them to take measures to reduce the visibility and impact of false election-related content. However, the law does not impose penalties on companies that fail to comply with the government guidelines, raising questions among observers about its practical effectiveness, Kyodo News reported.

Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is expected to issue detailed guidelines for platform operators, including annual disclosures on how they implement anti-misinformation measures.

A supplementary resolution accompanying the legislation urges the ministry to encourage platforms to adopt measures such as suspending monetization of misleading content, prioritizing information from trusted sources including official government websites, and displaying warning notices to users when questionable information is identified.

The government plans to bring the new rules into force by March 1, 2027, ahead of Japan's unified local elections expected later that spring.

The bill received broad bipartisan backing after being introduced by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, its coalition partner Komeito, the Japan Innovation Party, and four opposition parties before passing the upper house.

The reforms reflect growing concern in Japan over the influence of social media on electoral politics, particularly as online campaigning and AI-generated content become increasingly common. Political analysts have pointed to the expanding role of digital campaign strategies in recent elections, including the ruling party's strong performance under Prime Minister **Sanae Takaichi>, prompting lawmakers to strengthen safeguards against online manipulation.

The legislation places Japan among a growing number of democracies seeking to address the challenges posed by misinformation and rapidly advancing artificial intelligence technologies in political campaigns while balancing the protection of free speech.