Japan Considers Stricter Age Verification on Social Media to Protect Teenagers

On May 26, a government expert panel in Japan released a report on measures to protect teenagers online. According to the report, Japan needs to enhance the responsibility of social media operators, requiring them to implement stricter age verification processes and restrict certain features for younger users.

The report stresses that imposing a comprehensive age-based ban, similar to measures being implemented in some other countries, may not be an appropriate solution for Japan. Instead, the panel proposes a more flexible approach focused on strengthening the responsibility of technology platforms.

The panel also recommends that the government consider specific regulations on how platforms verify users' ages, as well as measures to restrict the use of certain functions for minors, aiming to ensure the healthy development of young people in the digital environment.