New local ordinance in Japan requires harmful online post removal, imposes fines

TOKYO – A revised ordinance took effect on Jan 25 in Japan’s Tottori prefecture, enabling the authorities to order the removal of defamatory or discriminatory online social media posts and impose fines of up to 50,000 yen (S$410) for non-compliance.

Tottori aims to better protect human rights by using the ordinance, touted as the first of its kind in Japan, as a complement to the country’s law targeting social media.

The national information distribution platform law that took effect in April 2025 requires social media platforms to address defamatory content but stops short of allowing the authorities to issue removal orders.

Under the Tottori ordinance, which was unanimously approved and enacted by the prefectural assembly in December 2025, a resident can ask the governor to request a person or site operator to delete a post they believe to be impinging on their or someone else’s rights.

The governor will then take the complaint to a large panel of experts – made up of academics with experience in human rights and appointed by the governor – who can recommend that a removal request be issued to the poster or platform if deemed necessary.

If the author of the post does not comply, the governor can then order the person to delete the post, with non-compliance resulting in the person’s name being publicly disclosed and a fine of up to 50,000 yen imposed.

The ordinance makes clear that freedom of expression should be protected and that posts subjected to deletion requests or orders are limited to those that target specific individuals.

Sufficient consideration must also be given to the potential impact on the poster’s mental and physical well-being in cases where they are a minor, it said. KYODO NEWS