AI-generated images and videos will have to be marked as such under new rules on the use of social media during elections in Japan, the internal affairs minister said yesterday.

The new rules, approved by parliament on Monday and which will take effect in March, also forbid internet users and platforms from spreading fake or distorted information about candidates.

“We believe that this is extremely important from the perspective of ensuring the fairness of elections,” Yoshimasa Hayashi, whose ministry oversees elections and telecommunications, told a press conference.

The new rules follow allegations about the use of AI-generated content to smear candidates in a 2025 leadership contest in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and in parliamentary elections in February.

Unlike under laws on social networks passed by the European Union, Japanese authorities will not be able to impose penalties for non-compliance, prompting local media to question their effectiveness.