S. Africa fights disinformation with tech giants

The Electoral Commission of South Africa has partnered with social technology giants, including TikTok, Google and Meta, to tackle misinformation and disinformation as the country prepares for next month’s general election.

Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda, director of public policy and government relations at TikTok Africa, said the move aims to provide facts to South Africans for them to make an informed choice during elections. TikTok is also working with other organizations such as South African Human Rights Commission to tackle fake news.

TikTok is disseminating information related to the elections in five local languages, such as the voting date and requirements for eligibility, he said. It is also running education sessions for voters provided by the Electoral Commission.

In the latest community guidelines report in December, TikTok said it had removed more than 721,000 videos from South Africa, some containing hate speech and others of criminal nature, he said.

Sy Mamabolo, chief electoral officer of the Electoral Commission of South Africa, said they welcome the support offered by technology companies.

He emphasized the important role of collaboration in minimizing misinformation and disinformation,

ultimately safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process.

“Our expectations are that in these instances, disinformation and misinformation will be removed or at least members of the public be warned that there is a problem with a particular video,” he said.

On the consequences of politicians spreading misinformation, he highlighted the potential for disqualification through the Electoral Court. Such actions could lead to fines of about $10,500 or even deregistration.

The writer is a freelance journalist for China Daily.