This article explores the tactics of disinformation and how they are being used on social media in South Africa, focusing on divisive issues like unemployment, inequality, and crime.
Online disinformation thrives on divisive issues like unemployment, inequality and crime in South Africa. This article explores common disinformation tactics and their use on social media. Disinformation purveyors don't have to look far to find contentious issues that divide society. In South Africa, issues such as unemployment, income inequality and crime present a dual nature: while they are of key concern for many citizens, they can also form the perfect basis for falsehoods to flourish.
This article unpacks 'playbook' disinformation tactics and how some of them are being used on South African social media. The progression of online mis- and disinformation has been an area of attention for many individuals, governments, and organizations worldwide. In 2020, at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine-related disinformation caused concerns among governments and healthcare workers seeking to protect people against the virus. Disinformation about immigrants in South Africa heightened already existing tensions between them and locals, leading to the persisting anti-immigrant sentiment online. Incidents where mis- and disinformation has been used to sow discord include claims that the Independent Electoral Commission had miscounted the votes and that the then-ruling ANC captured the commission. A three-part opinion documentary unpacks the tactics used by Russia to create and spread disinformation across countries for decades. The documentary traces the birth of one of the greatest disinformation engines, the Soviet Union, in 1959, highlighting it as well-organized and 'mimicked' by various actors. Titled 'Operation Infektion', the documentary unpacks the seven commandments of disinformation used to create and disseminate 'today's fake news'
DISINFORMATION SOUTH AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA ONLINE TACTICS MISINFORMATION
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