TOKYO, July 14, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - AI-generated images and videos will have to be marked as such under new rules on the use of social media during elections in Japan, the internal affairs minister said Tuesday.

The new rules, approved by parliament on Monday and which will take effect in March, also forbid internet users and platforms from spreading fake or distorted information about candidates.

"We believe that this is extremely important from the perspective of ensuring the fairness of elections," Yoshimasa Hayashi, whose ministry oversees elections and telecommunications, told a press conference.

The new rules follow allegations about the use of AI-generated content to smear candidates in a 2025 leadership contest in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and in parliamentary elections in February.

Unlike under laws on social networks passed by the European Union, Japanese authorities will not be able to impose penalties for non-compliance, prompting local media to question their effectiveness.

The Nikkei business daily said that this may be because Tokyo wants to avoid the friction seen between Washington and Brussels over fines imposed under the bloc's Digital Services Act.

The Japanese government plans to set guidelines for platform operators on ways to obey the rules, with annual disclosures on implementation, Kyodo News said.

Japanese government officials have said, in drafting the new rules, they needed to strike a balance between free speech and the sanctity of democratic elections.