Photo/Illutration The government believes social media corporations' self-regulatory measures are inadequate in combating misinformation. (Takeshi Narabe)

The government is considering introducing stricter regulations for social media platforms to combat the spread of false and misleading information.

This comes after an expert panel at the telecommunications ministry concluded that social media companies' self-regulatory measures are insufficient.

The panel's proposal, which is expected to be released soon, requires platforms to take more aggressive actions to remove illegal misinformation.

This includes setting up dedicated reporting channels for users to flag harmful content, making decisions on whether to remove content within a specified time frame and suspending the accounts of repeat offenders.

Such measures will also be crucial to demonetize posts that are harmful, but legal, and halt their spread.

The panel's recommendations also balance the need to protect users' freedom of expression.

It calls for the government to establish transparent procedures for ordering platforms to remove content. This includes disclosing the details of user requests to delete posts, such as when and why they were made.

The panel's proposal also calls for social media corporations to develop and publish clear guidelines for removing content and disclose information about their staffing levels for handling such matters.

Other recommended measures include warning labels for harmful or inappropriate posts and reducing their visibility in search results.

The panel’s recommendation comes after the government expressed concern over the spread of false rescue requests on social media during the Noto Peninsula earthquake in January.

While the telecommunications ministry urged platforms to remove such posts, it lacked the legal authority to mandate its requests.

Starting in February, the panel interviewed social media companies, including Meta and X, formerly Twitter.

It criticizes these platforms for failing to provide adequate responses to its questions and for lacking accountability and transparency.

The panel argues that the "attention economy," in which social media users generate revenue by posting sensational content, is a major factor in the spread of misinformation.

It concludes that comprehensive measures are needed to ensure a healthy online information environment.

(This article was written by Kenro Kuroda and Takeshi Narabe.)

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