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AI, Digital Platforms, and Vulnerable Citizens in Japan: Emerging Media Policy Concerns

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Why is it important?

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI), algorithmic governance, and digital platform infrastructures has fundamentally transformed communication systems, public participation, and information accessibility across technologically advanced societies. In Japan, the emergence of a platform-centered digital environment has intensified debates surrounding media governance, digital citizenship, data ethics, and communication inequality, particularly among socially vulnerable populations. Despite Japan’s global reputation for technological innovation and smart society initiatives, significant disparities remain in terms of digital inclusion, algorithmic fairness, accessibility, and participatory communication. Vulnerable citizens—including elderly populations, migrant workers, and women subjected to online harassment, persons with disabilities, and socially isolated youth— frequently encounter structural barriers within AI-mediated communication ecosystems.

Perspectives

This study is significant for several reasons. Academically, it contributes to emerging scholarship on AI governance, digital communication inequality, and Asian media policy studies. Theoretically, it expands debates concerning digital citizenship and platform power by incorporating questions of social vulnerability and communication justice. From a policy perspective, the study highlights the urgent need for inclusive and ethically accountable media governance frameworks capable of addressing the social consequences of AI-mediated communication systems. As technologically advanced societies increasingly depend upon algorithmic infrastructures, understanding the relationship between AI, media policy, and vulnerable citizens becomes essential for ensuring democratic participation, social inclusion, and communication rights in the digital age.

Dr. Mustak Ahmed
University of Rajshahi

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This page is a summary of: AI, Digital Platforms, and Vulnerable Citizens in Japan: Emerging Media Policy Concerns, May 2026, MDPI AG,
DOI: 10.20944/preprints202605.1445.v1.
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