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Japan to step up measures to fight foreign election interference

Japan to step up measures to fight foreign election interference

Nikkei Asia29-07-2025
Japan's recent upper house election saw a wave of social media bots spreading fake AI images on topics like vaccines and foreigners. © AP
SATOSHI TEZUKA
TOKYO -- The Japanese government is ramping up efforts to combat foreign election interference after the spread of misinformation by bots on social media became a problem in the recent upper house vote.
"Foreign interference in elections is commonplace around the world, and other countries are responding in various ways," said Masaaki Taira, minister for digital transformation, at a press conference on Tuesday. "Japan is not immune to this issue."
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