Launch of  Japan Fact-check Center to counter fake news.

A Tokyo-based nonprofit, Safer Internet Association, will launch the Japan Fact-check Center to combat fake news in Japan. The center, backed by financial support from Yahoo Japan Corp. and Google, will focus on verifying and debunking misinformation on social media. The center comprises an editorial department, a management committee led by university professors, and an audit committee to oversee its activities.

The Safer Internet Association, a Tokyo-based nonprofit organization, will launch a fact-checking organization called the Japan Fact-check Center, aimed at preventing the spread of fake news and other false information. Disinformation has become a relevant social issue in Japan as stories overstating the danger of COVID-19 vaccines and uncertain information about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have spread online. Japan Fact-check Center plans to produce articles on the authenticity of doubtful information circulating on social media. The center consists of an editorial department, a management committee and an auditing committee. The editorial department is formed mainly by former newspaper reporters. The management committee of the center is led by university professors, who will set the center’s operational guidelines and evaluate its activities. The audit committee will monitor the center and confirm if its governance is appropriate. Yahoo Japan Corp. will provide ¥20 million per year, while Google will contribute $1.5 million over two years to support the center’s activities.