Social media, an open door to disinformation in Africa – Study --[Reported by Umva mag]

According to a recent study conducted by KnowBe4, 84 percent of Africans are increasingly relying on social media for information, making the population vulnerable to misinformation.

A survey conducted in June 2024 by “KnowBe4”, a company specialising in cybersecurity, highlights a worrying problem for African societies: the heavy reliance of populations on social networks for information.

The study, which involved 500 people spread across Botswana, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria and South Africa, reveals that “84 percent of respondents” consider social networks as their main source of information, with 80 percent of them favouring Facebook’.

”This massive dependence is particularly worrying as we approach a major electoral cycle, with 19 African countries set to hold elections in 2024. The rise of disinformation campaigns, fueled by foreign actors such as Russia and China, threatens to worsen social instability,” the document underlines, citing the African Center for Strategic Studies, which reports that these campaigns have quadrupled since 2022.

Unreliable channels and an overestimation of discernment capacities

The increase in disinformation on social networks constitutes an increasingly palpable threat. Anna Collard, vice president of content strategy at KnowBe4 AFRICA, points out that “more than 50% of respondents use TikTok to get their news. However, neither Facebook nor TikTok are considered reliable sources of information,” she says.

Despite this, “82 percent of respondents” feel able to distinguish real information from fake news. However, Collard expresses doubts.

“Although most respondents said they could tell the difference between real and fake news, I doubt that’s the case,” she says.

Other studies, she says, show that people often overestimate their ability to spot deepfakes or misleading content. Worse, people tend to trust AI-generated images more than real photographs.

The impact of misinformation on society and elections

The survey found that “80 percent of respondents” were concerned about the negative impact of fake news and its potential to divide communities. In Kenya, some observed how misinformation contributed to “tribal conflicts.”

Last year, during Nigeria’s elections, social media influencers used inorganic hashtags to stir up political
tensions.

Collard adds that disinformation campaigns are becoming increasingly sophisticated thanks to artificial intelligence tools.

“The rapid spread of misinformation via social media and the increasing availability of AI tools are enabling low-cost but highly effective disinformation campaigns,” she notes.

A notable example is the 2017 campaign by British PR firm Bell Pottinger, which used disinformation
to manipulate public opinion in South Africa.

Urgent need for education and regulation

The study highlights the lack of training for users on how to detect disinformation. “58% of respondents” admit to having received no training on the subject, while “32 percent” simply choose to ignore misleading information.

This last figure reveals the urgent need for a more proactive approach to combating this scourge.

Anna Collard advocates for a multi-pronged strategy to better combat disinformation. This approach would include enhanced education on critical thinking, coordinated government measures to limit the spread of misinformation, and increased vigilance by social media platforms.

“Fake news is an ongoing challenge that requires constant attention,” she concludes.

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