Social media was flooded with misinformation and blatant lies following a 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of the Tohoku region on April 20, prompting the communications ministry to call for countermeasures.
- Communications Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi urged the public to verify disaster information through government and official media sources.
- False posts included footage from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake.
- Misleading content originated from accounts in Japan, South Asia, Europe, and China.
Combating Tohoku Earthquake Misinformation
During a news conference on April 21, Communications Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi emphasized the need for accuracy during natural disasters. “I hope everyone will confirm information about natural disasters with what is provided by the central and local governments and media organizations,” Hayashi said.
Investigations into posts on X revealed a video showing buildings and roads shaking violently that was falsely attributed to the April 20 quake. The footage was actually from a private TV network broadcast of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake on New Year’s Day 2024.
Other misleading content included a video claiming to show a tsunami from April 20, which was actually recorded after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Additional images appearing on social media were found to be created using generative artificial intelligence.
The dubious posts appeared on X, TikTok, and YouTube. These posts originated from accounts located in Japan as well as South Asia, Europe, and China, with many overseas accounts utilizing automatic translation functions to produce Japanese text.
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