The Japanese government decided Tuesday to call on social media operators to toughen the screening of ads on their platforms amid a growing number of false investment ads using fake endorsements from celebrities. The measure is part of a government crackdown on a surge in social media scams soliciting investments, with the operators being urged to create guidelines for the vetting of ads and disclose such criteria. Among a range of nonbinding measures, endorsed by a Cabinet meeting of relevant ministers, the operators were also urged to come up with a stricter process to identify those who place ads and to promptly respond to requests that fake ads be deleted.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed the ministers at the meeting to take "drastic measures against fake ads." The government demanded that firms, such as Meta Platforms Inc. of the United States, hire employees who understand the Japanese language and culture to ensure a better screening process for social media ads.
Social media operators were also asked to put people in charge of responding to inquiries from investigative authorities to deal promptly with any potential cases of fraud. The steps came after Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, founder of online fashion retailer Zozo Inc., and entrepreneur Takafumi Horie, demanded in April that action be taken against social media scams after their names were used without their permission in soliciting investments.
According to the National Police Agency, 2,508 cases.
