Japanese tech firms are developing technologies to stop people from posting remarks that others may interpret as abusive or slanderous.

Simeji is a text-input app. It added a new function in August that encourages users to soften Japanese-language expressions that may sound aggressive or be misleading.

For example, "Dakara nani?" in Japanese means "So what?" The app suggests milder expressions like "I see. What would you like to do now?"

An official of the app's provider, Baidu Japan, says the function will help users avoid trouble on social media.

"Simeji is an app used on smartphones," he says. "So we can approach users at the earliest stage when they enter their text."

The operator of the Line messaging app rolled out an AI feature last month. It reviews comments on its online news articles before they are uploaded.

LY Corporation says the texts are analyzed to find expressions that may make readers uncomfortable. It asks those who post messages to reconsider any problem phrases.

The communications ministry operates a hotline for illegal or harmful online information. The service received more than 6,400 requests for consultation due to slanderous comments and other kinds of trouble in the year through March.