JOHANNESBURG - Voters are being warned to be aware of digital disinformation as the country prepares for next year's elections.
The Electoral Commission says if left unchecked, this could undermine the credibility of the elections.
South Africa is among over fifty countries that will take part in what's said to be a record-breaking number of elections worldwide next year.
One social media analyst says South African voters should not fall for deepfake videos that often look authentic.
There's no denying that digital democracy amplifies ordinary people’s voice in the political discourse.
But social media analyst Lorato Tshenkeng, says scammers now steal identities and voices of high-profile individuals to create deepfake videos, using generative artificial intelligence.
The Electoral Commission says while it’s working with Big Tech companies such as Google, TikTok and Meta, owners of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, to fight disinformation and fake news, it's urging voters to be alert.
According to DataReportal, an online reference library, South Africa was home to 25.80 million social media users in January 2023, equating to 42.9 percent of the total population.
Tshenkeng says while the spotlight to combat fake news is largely on Facebook, X, TikTok, and YouTube, the elephant in the room is WhatsApp.
It remains to be seen how social media and artificial intelligence will influence South Africa’s elections next year, which have been hailed as the most defining polls since the fall of apartheid, if at all.