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National Report<br>article
Japan declines to join movement to ban youth from social media
By KENICHIRO SHINO/ Staff Writer
June 3, 2026 at 15:47 JST
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Apps on a screen of a smartphone (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
An expert panel of the communications ministry on June 2 unveiled draft guidelines for regulating children’s social media use, which reject the blanket age bans imposed in other countries.
The proposal, instead of a uniform ban, calls for stricter identity checks to replace the current system, which relies almost entirely on self-reporting.
Under the proposal, providers such as Instagram and TikTok would be mandated to evaluate their services for risks.
Based on those assessments, they would set and publicize target ages and feature restrictions, along with the reasoning behind their age policies and verification methods.
The report highlights that most services rely on self-reported ages and proposes strengthening verification methods.
One option suggested is leveraging age data already held by mobile phone carriers.
In its approach, the panel is charting a different course from a growing international trend.
Countries such as Australia and the European Union are moving toward uniform age restrictions, such as for users under 16.
The draft report dismissed this approach, stating that it is “undesirable because the design and characteristics differ for each service.”
Following a public comment period, the report is expected to be finalized this summer.
Officials from relevant ministries will then move to develop countermeasures, including potential legal amendments and new guidelines.
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