Japan tells X, Google to improve transparency on tackling harmful online content

Japan's Communications Ministry on Friday ordered the operators of X, Google, and three other online platforms to improve public disclosure of how they handle harmful and malicious online content, after finding their transparency reports failed to meet legal standards.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications issued corrective recommendations under the Information Distribution Platform Act, saying the companies' disclosures on enforcement measures during fiscal 2025 were incomplete and did not fully satisfy reporting requirements set out in a ministerial ordinance.

The recommendations apply to X Corp., Google LLC, Meta Platforms, anonymous bulletin board operator Shonan Seibu Home Co., which runs bakusai.com, and Japanese media company Dwango Co., operator of the video-sharing platform Niconico.

Under the law, which came into force in April last year, designated platform operators are required to strengthen responses to illegal and harmful online content, including improving transparency over content moderation and speeding up responses to requests for content removal.

If the companies fail to comply with the recommendations without legitimate grounds, the ministry may issue formal corrective orders under the legislation.

"Appropriate action needs to be taken in light of the recommendations. We will communicate with the companies to ensure steady progress toward corrective measures," Communications Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told a press conference, according to Kyodo News.

The move marks one of the first enforcement actions under Japan's platform transparency regime, which aims to hold major digital platforms more accountable for their handling of harmful online content while requiring greater public disclosure of moderation practices.