Minister Solly Malatsi addresses information integrity at Moxii Africa’s Media Freedom Festival
Digital technologies minister warns of election threats from AI and disinformation during day three of Moxii Africa's annual gathering at the Goethe-Institut.
Information integrity and its importance ahead of the local government elections took centre stage on day three of Moxii Africa’s Media Freedom Festival at the Goethe-Institut yesterday.
Delivering a keynote address on the topical issue was Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi. He said that, in a few weeks, South African citizens will elect public representatives who will decide whether municipal taps run or refuse is collected or local clinics have enough resources for their communities. “Local government is the sphere closest to the people which makes it one of the most exposed to societal ills that impact government and affect the communities daily.”
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The minister noted that propaganda, rumours and misinformation have always been a feature of politics, but in recent times fake news, bots, nefarious actors, manipulation of digital advertising and disinformation have emerged as serious threats to the integrity and credibility of political campaigning. “This has opened up the space for criminals and bad actors who can use AI to fake voices and make it sound authentic and mislead the public and influence people’s choices in an election cycle.”
Malatsi added that the reality was that fact-checking and true statements never travel as fast and wide as lies do, especially when recommendation algorithms reward whatever keeps users scrolling. “The best response to misinformation is accurate information delivered faster and empowering people with digital skills training to help them discern the information they consume,” he said.
“On the other hand, disinformation is far more dangerous. These are lies intentionally created and spread, often in co-ordinated ways, to achieve objectives such as inciting violence, exploiting online for financial gain and ultimately contaminating public opinion.”
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The minister concluded that it was important to always ensure that all of us, as players, have a national duty to ensure that we help safeguard the benefits and inroads that our democracy has made, and that we collectively contribute to an informed citizenry and a safe online space.
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