Truth paramount in upcoming elections
Growing spread of fake news and misinformation threatening integrity of democratic polls worldwide
More than 60 countries are holding elections in 2024, with more than a billion people set to vote.
However, the growing spread of fake news poses a threat to the integrity of democratic elections.
“Fake news” typically refers to false information shared via social media and some news sites.
According to a UK government report, “misinformation” is sharing false information without intending to cause harm; “disinformation” is deliberately sharing false information to cause harm; and “malinformation” is sharing true information to cause harm.
The spread of false and manipulated information to deceive the public during elections is a global challenge.
It is crucial to find a balance between stopping fake news and protecting freedom of expression to ensure fair and free elections.
This balance requires strong legal frameworks, active public discussions and vigilant factchecking by both citizens and organisations.
As our democracy matures, it is vital to understand and counteract misinformation to promote an electorate that values truth and transparency.
Disinformation can serve different harmful purposes such as sowing division among voters or undermining public confidence in institutions such as the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).
It can include lies about political leaders, policies or electoral processes, making it hard for people to make informed decisions.
For instance, earlier in 2024, it was alleged on social media that the EFF’S Hillbrow office produced fake SA identity documents to enable Zimbabweans and Nigerians to vote for the EFF in our election.
The post seemed believable and included a photo of many SA identity documents lying on a table.
However, the independent non-partisan NGO Africa Check found that the photo was from a police raid on a forger’s home two years ago.
It is common for fake information to be spread either to discredit a political party or to enhance its reputation.
Operation Dudula, now a political party, has been accused of xenophobia and physically threatening both illegal and legal immigrants.
Old videos purporting to show xenophobic violence in SA are sometimes shared online to instil fear and spread harmful stereotypes, which can lead to real-world violence and death like what we saw in the 2021 Phoenix Riots.
Disinformation campaigns can be used to spread myths about gender equality, while certain types of malinformation, such as disclosing someone’s sexual orientation online as part of a smear campaign, can lead to real-world harm and violence.
Recently, the department of basic education issued a press release to debunk false claims by conservative groups that it was pushing “transgender ideology” on children.
Women politicians, activists and journalists are often subjected to cyber violence, which can occur any time due to the widespread use of social media and mobile devices.
During Covid-19 lockdowns in SA, a racist dehumanising fake online campaign targeted then Cogta minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-zuma and, without intervention from the relevant authorities, the perpetrators went unpunished.
Understanding the intersectional links between gender, sexuality, technology, democracy and disinformation is crucial as the internet becomes a main source of information for many.
As voters, we should not be passive or feel helpless against disinformation.
As active citizens, we can fight fake news during and between election periods by taking additional precautions to verify information such as politicians making false claims, edited videos, misleading photos, or fake giveaways and scams.
For example, the deepfake Slim Shady video used voice cloning technology to falsely claim that Eminem endorsed the EFF; or the online scams claiming that President Cyril Ramaphosa gives away 10GB of data and that the government gives a R1,100 childcare subsidy to parents. Africa Check debunked these.
Politicians can also make false claims, such as a recent video released by DA councillor Angus Mckenzie wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh, where he “along with the Tooba Foundation” invited Muslim residents to an Eid prayer.
The Tooba Africa Foundation promptly issued a press release stating they stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine; they did not permit Mckenzie to use their poster in his video, nor did they form any partnership or collaboration with him for Eid prayers.
They only requested permission to hold mass outdoor Eid morning prayers.
As coalitions formed in 2023, claims were made about what opposition parties referred to as the “poor state of the country”.
Africa Check investigated six claims about unemployment, crime and voter registration in SA.
Its verdict on the claims made by the DA and Actionsa was that “one claim was misleading, two understated and three were found to be incorrect”.
Just like crime, claims about jobs are highly emotive. In 2023, Africa Check investigated such claims made by the DA and the ANC.
The DA claimed it “created 98% of all new jobs in the last quarter of 2022”, the verdict was that this claim was “misleading”.
The ANC claimed that “unemployment decreased for seven consecutive quarters since 2021”, here the verdict was
“true”. Earlier in 2024, Africa Check investigated manifesto claims from the DA, EFF and newcomer Rise Mzansi; as well as claims made by the ANC in its January 8 statement.
Two of the nine claims about unemployment, crime and education in the DA’S Rescue Plan were correct.
Three of the four claims made in the EFF’S manifesto about land, wealth, crime and sanitation were correct.
Four of the seven claims in Rise Mzansi’s manifesto about hunger, unemployment and poverty were correct.
Eight of the ANC’S 13 claims in its January 8 statement about access to basic services, employment and the economy were correct.
Political party manifestos are important tools to enable voters to make informed decisions, but if parties are not truthful in their manifestos, voters are left with little choice but to make decisions largely based on social media or braai gossip.
To combat misinformation, fact-checking groups recommend we ensure information comes from a reliable source.
This can be done by checking the account name, looking for others making the same claim and checking the content being shared from the account.
Free internet tools such as Tin Eye can be used to do a reverse image search to verify a photo.
SA has laws to curb the spread of fake information and its harmful real-world consequences; including laws against hate speech and laws to protect vulnerable groups.
The Cyber Crimes Act primarily aimed at social media, makes it a criminal offence “for anyone to spread false information intending to incite violence or cause property damage”.
The Electoral Act makes it illegal to “spread false information to intentionally disrupt or prevent an election, cause fear or hostility to influence its outcome, or influence the conduct or result of an election”.
Even with our laws, greater investment in media literacy is needed.
Our constitution does not grant us the right to spread fake news.
While the need to protect freedom of expression must be balanced with the need to protect the integrity of democratic elections, government control over what constitutes fake information must not become a tool for censorship.
It is crucial to amplify the truth during an election, facts are important and the truth matters. Fake information is not only spread by professional trolls but also by ordinary citizens.
Staying informed helps, but we should also guide those around us who might fall for misinformation.
Calling out misinformation is a bit of an art, and needs to be done with care as the goal is to help others find the facts in a way that is kind and easy to understand.
If you suspect that someone shared misleading information, take some time to fact-check the information yourself before confronting them, as it could be awkward if the information turned out to be true.
Once you’ve established that the information is misleading, it would be useful to consider why the person shared the misinformation so that you can work out how best to approach the person so as not to alienate them.
If they were sharing out of fear, comfort them; if they were sharing out of ignorance, inform them.
Some people may feel genuine embarrassment about sharing misinformation.
If you chat with the person in private, ask the person to consider rectifying their post with the correct information so those who read the initial post do not make decisions based on misinformation.
If people get defensive, avoid conflict and instead offer them the tools to fact-check for themselves.
Citizen fact-checking allows us to proactively share useful information and co-create powerful spaces for “pre-bunking”,
that is, posting accurate information before inaccurate claims begin to circulate.
We each thus have the potential to become the go-to person for friends, family and online followers when they are looking for facts.
We are not immune to making mistakes and it’s important not to see intention in others’ mistakes.
Similarly, if we post information that turns out to be untrue, post the correct information and let our friends know a mistake was made.
Not only does this help people make informed decisions, it fosters greater levels of trust between people and communities.
We all have a responsibility to disseminate information that is verifiable and accurate, making it important to engage in citizen fact-checking and be mindful not to contribute to further polarisation.
Report any fake news or misinformation to independent organisations like Africa Check, Media Monitoring Africa, Code or Real 4:11 to help maintain a truthful information environment.
Sikhander Coopoo is a human rights defender. He is a black, queer, Muslim intersectional feminist with backgrounds in gender, pedagogy and local governance. He serves on the Gender and Sexuality Alliance committee and writes in his own capacity. In this article he has made reference to investigations and reports done by a non-profit organisation Africa Check. They can be accessed through their website: africacheck.org