Elections

Yomiuri Survey: 72% Think Laws Needed to Prevent Social Media Election Disinformation; Majority of All Age Groups for Enactment

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
A Hyogo gubernatorial election candidate speech in Kobe is recorded on a smartphone on Nov. 16, 2024.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:39 JST, February 17, 2025

A recent opinion poll conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun found that 72% of respondents “think” the government needs to enact laws to prevent the spread of misinformation and disinformation about elections on social networking sites.

By comparison, 24% said they “don’t think so.”

The older the respondents, the higher the percentage of those who “think” enacting such laws is necessary: 83% of those aged 60 or older, 71% of those aged 40-59 and 55% of those aged 18-39.

The influence of information posted on social media with questionable veracity on election results has become an issue, as emblematized in last year’s Hyogo gubernatorial election. The ruling and opposition parties are furthering examinations of possible legal restrictions that can be imposed.