Defending the truth

Purposefully spreading false information is their business model: Dubious companies and consultants like “Team Jorge” are trying to influence elections around the world. They rely on armies of fake social media accounts, cyber espionage and AI.

Autocratic propaganda exploits mistrust and a lack of media literacy. Even young people need to learn how to identify lies and deal with false information.

Irene Mwendwa is the executive director of the civil-society organisation Pollicy. In this interview, she outlines her vision of ethical tech and talks about her experiences in the fight against disinformation and for the empowerment of Africans.

In Africa, political rhetoric, dubious health claims and geopolitical interests fuel the spread of misinformation. Africa Check regularly exposes lies and works to (re)build media literacy to hold those in power accountable with facts.

In South and Southeast Asia, several governments use laws that are supposed to fight fake news to suppress critical voices. However, civil-society actors have successfully countered such attempts to undermine free speech.