IEC receives over 700 election misinformation complaints, enlists Google, Meta and TikTok ahead of November vote

As South Africans prepare to vote in the upcoming local government elections on November 4, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has joined forces with tech giants Google, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok, and Moxii Africa to counter election-related misinformation. Since receiving over 700 complaints, primarily from posts on X, the IEC has expanded its efforts to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process.

Many of these complaints involve the misuse of photographs and AI-generated content, though none have threatened the overall election environment.

The partnership builds upon a similar framework from the 2024 National and Provincial Elections and is part of the Commission's broader initiatives to protect the credibility of local government elections. A key element of this effort is the recently enacted Electoral Code of Conduct Countering Disinformation in the Local Government Elections, commonly referred to as the Disinformation Code.

This code applies to political parties, candidates, and their representatives, imposing sanctions similar to those under the broader Electoral Code of Conduct. The Commission's Chief Electoral Officer, Sy Mamabolo, emphasized the importance of collaboration with major digital platforms to ensure voters have access to credible and trustworthy information.

Mamabolo cautioned that violators of the Electoral Code of Conduct could face severe penalties, including fines up to R200,000, prison sentences ranging from five to 10 years, or the deregistration of candidates and political parties in serious cases. The partnership will involve cooperation between the partners, support for voter awareness campaigns, training on disinformation, and joint initiatives to reduce the impact of false or misleading election-related content.

South Africans can report suspected misinformation through the Real411 platform, which is designated as a key mechanism for addressing election-related disinformation. The IEC has also launched an Election Centre on TikTok, where users can access reliable election information and interact with fact-checkers. Google's Sipho Mtombeni highlighted the platform's commitment to providing tools to distinguish between correct information and AI-generated misinformation.

Moxii Africa's William Bird stressed the importance of information integrity in maintaining the credibility of democratic processes.