The government on Tuesday compiled comprehensive antifraud measures aimed at tackling a sharp increase in fraud damage cases involving social media advertisements that pose as being from celebrities.
The measures call for social media operators to strengthen ad screenings to prevent fraudulent ads from being posted.
They also seek to swiftly delete existing false ads.
At a meeting where the government laid out the measures, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told relevant Cabinet ministers to "take thorough measures with strong determination, including firmly urging private business operators to fulfill their social responsibilities."
Specifically, the government will ask social media operators to draw up and disclose ad-screening criteria and introduce a tougher identification process for ad placers.
It will also urge social media operators, many of which are non-Japanese companies, to deploy employees who understand Japanese and the culture sufficiently to help develop an effective screening system.
Social media operators will be asked to delete existing fake ads based on account information that investigative bodies provide and take other appropriate action in accordance with their terms of use.
Last month, a team from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party compiled a proposal for the government on fraudulent online ads featuring celebrities, calling for social media operators to toughen their ad screenings.
An expert panel at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is considering legislation that would oblige social media operators to draw up and disclose their ad screening criteria, it and is expected to compile a related report as early as this summer.