Quake-Related Searches on X Can Lead to Adult Spam in Japan; Nuisance Complicates Efforts to Find Vital Information After Nankai Trough Quake Info Issued

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:27 JST, August 9, 2024

Online searches in Japanese for “earthquake” or “extra information” on the X social media site, formerly Twitter, have generated spam images that redirect to adult-themed sites, making it difficult for users to reach correct information since the Japan Meteorological Agency on Thursday issued Nankai Trough Earthquake Extra Information, or Megathrust Earthquake Attention, indicating the necessity for caution regarding a megaquake in the Nankai Trough area.

The Yomiuri Shimbun has confirmed that images urging preparation for quakes appear on X and that clicking on them redirects the user to adult-themed sites.