Tips to keep in mind when consuming information online

With the election mere days away, knowing how to spot fake or false news has never been more important.

Rebecca Davis from the Daily Maverick hosted a seminar on what to look out for when consuming information online via social media or more traditional websites.

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“In today’s digital age, the spread of misinformation can influence public opinion and undermine the democratic process, especially during election periods.”

Kavisha Pillay is the executive director for Campaign On Digital Ethics and says the amount of disinformation that is circulated during election seasons around the world is staggering.

“False news is not new. Politicians will do what they can to get votes, but what is new in the last decade or so is the use of social media using algorithms and recommendations to ensure targeted information pops up for online users to consume.”

This, she says, is a threat to democracy and free and fair elections as seen in America, India, the Philippines, Brazil, and the UK Brexit vote.

“The 2016 US election is a prime example where everything from micro-targeted messages to blatant lies were rampant.”

Given the extent of false information, we all have a role to play to ensure platforms are not unintentionally promoting lies and misinformation. “The Artificial Intelligence (AI) arms race is currently underway, and we need to stop fabricated content that can further harm and polarise society.”

She says individual consumers of information, especially content that people share, need to be vetted before doing so.

There are several main areas at play here, satire or parody, false context and fabricated content.

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Satire
If the person consuming the information does not know it is satire, it can be shared as a truth by people who do not realise it is false. Normally intended as humour or parody, satire mimics real news or events to make a point or critique of society, politics, or individuals.

“Problems arise when satire is not clearly labelled or understood as such leading audiences to interpret it as factual.”

False content
The original content is true but is presented in a manipulated way to deceive consumers of the information.

“This involves genuine content, like photos, videos, or statistics, that are presented in a misleading context. The original content is real but the way it is framed, or the accompanying narrative is manipulated to serve a deceptive purpose.”

Imposter content
A fake news site that looks credible. For example, a website might look very similar to the BBC or eNCA so people think it is trustworthy.

Fabricated content
This information has no basis in fact and is purely meant to deceive you.

“In South Africa recently there was an AI video of Trump saying he endorsed Jacob Zuma’s MK party which was widely circulated.”

Carina van Wyk is the head of training and education at Africa Check and works hard to verify information shared by political parties and others to test their veracity.

“We speak to experts to establish if claims are correct and appropriate for the media to use.”

An example she cites is a quote by President Cyril Ramaphosa who said earlier this year, “I know of no country – certainly on our continent, and on other continents as well that has built houses, 4.7 million, and given them to our people for mahala.”

It turns out says Van Wyk he was referring to housing opportunities. The actual houses delivered were only 3.5 million.

“People should watch out for false quotes by politicians or fake social media accounts.”

Things to watch out for before and on election day

• Claims that a political party has withdrawn from the elections
• Claims that a politician has moved to another party
• Claims about political leaders – their health or involvement in a scandal
• Photos or videos claiming to show election violence or protest
• Claims about people voting without having registered
• Claims about people being prevented from voting
• Claims about vote buying or election rigging
• Fake election results or results from previous elections.

“Be very wary of videos and photos of election violence or protest. This kind of thing might deter you from going to vote. Check with news pages and authorities to verify if it is true.”

Tips for spotting fake news

• Pause: Does it make you feel fear, anger, or other strong emotions?
• Does it sound too good, shocking, or unlikely to be true?
• Who, or what is the source?

She says cross-referencing information is vital. “If X, formally Twitter, has something trending but Facebook has no mention of it, it might be questionable information.”

Where can you report false election information?

• Africa Check: www.africacheck.org
• Campaign On Digital Ethics: www.code-sa.org
• Media Monitoring Africa: www.real411.org/election
• On social media platforms – posts will have an option to report an issue to the platform like Facebook or X.

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