Govt Survey: Half of Respondents Trusted Online False Info; Communications Minister Pushes for Internet Literacy

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:54 JST, May 14, 2025

Among those who encountered misinformation or disinformation online, nearly half trusted such information and about a quarter disseminated it further in some way, a government survey has found.

The survey was conducted online in March and April by the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, targeting 2,820 men and women aged 15 and older.

The survey presented 15 examples of misinformation or disinformation that had spread in Japan in the past and asked users who had heard or seen it whether they thought the information was true.

A total of 47.7% of respondents answered that they thought the information was “true” or “probably true.” Furthermore, 25.5% answered that they had spread the information by telling their families or posting it on social media.

As for the reasons for sharing such information, 27.1% of respondents said, “The content was surprising;” 22.7% said, “It was a hot topic and I wanted to join in;” and 7.4% responded, “To increase the number of followers [on my social media account].”

The most common way of realizing that such information was false was through “television and newspapers” at 39.6%.

“The importance of improving literacy [on the internet] has been highlighted,” Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Seiichiro Murakami said at a press conference on Tuesday. He also indicated plans to promote awareness of the appropriate use of social media.