Africans at risk of disinformation on social media overdependence – survey

Onome Amuge

The findings of a recent survey conducted by KnowBe4 across the African continent have revealed a troubling over-reliance on social media, particularly Facebook, as the primary source of news. With a clear majority of respondents turning to Facebook for their news, the survey raises serious concerns about the implications of such a heavy dependence on social platforms, given the continued rise of disinformation on these platforms and the potential for the spread of misinformation to skew public perception.

As at least 12 African nations prepare to hold elections in 2024, with multiple political campaigns already in full swing, fears about the harmful effects of misinformation and disinformation are rapidly intensifying.

According to the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies, the number of disinformation campaigns in Africa has quadrupled since 2022, with a significant portion of these campaigns backed by foreign powers such as Russia and China. This disturbing trend is seen to have contributed to increasing social instability, as these malicious actors exploit social media platforms to spread falsehoods and manipulate public opinion.

In light of these troubling developments, KnowBe4,  the provider of the world’s largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, launched a survey in June 2024 to gauge the extent and impact of political disinformation and misinformation in five African countries including Botswana, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, and South Africa.

The survey, conducted across the five African countries with 500 respondents, revealed a concerning statistic, as an overwhelming 84 percent of the users surveyed preferred social media for news consumption over traditional news channels like radio, TV, and news websites.

Commenting on the survey finding, Anna Collard, senior vice president (SVP), content strategy and evangelist at KnowBe4 AFRICA, remarked, “80% of respondents are consuming news on Facebook and over 50% use TikTok. This is alarming as neither of these channels is very reliable in terms of news.”

The findings of the KnowBe4 survey further revealed an unsettling level of confidence among the respondents, with 82 percent of them expressing faith in their ability to discern true and false information online. Despite this high degree of confidence, the survey found that the majority of respondents had not received formal education on how to identify disinformation and misinformation

Collard observed, “While most respondents reported being able to tell the difference between real and fake news, I doubt this is the case. Other research has shown that most people overestimate their ability to detect deepfakes, and ironically, more people trust AI-generated images than actual photographs.”

The survey also revealed that disinformation is becoming a significant concern for many. This is as 80 percent of respondents expressed high levels of worry about the negative impact of fake news and its potential to cause social division. 

Collard, commenting on the findings of the survey, pointed out that respondents from Kenya had personally witnessed the disastrous consequences of disinformation, as it had the potential to spark tribal conflict.

Collard elaborated on the corrosive role that social media influencers and inorganic hashtags could play in fomenting political discord, citing the example of Nigeria’s presidential election in 2023 where such tactics were used to stoke division and sow mistrust in the democratic process.

“Social media’s rapid spread of false information and the increasing accessibility of AI tools allow for the quick and cheap creation of sophisticated disinformation campaigns,” she added.

The KnowBe4 survey revealed a critical gap in education and awareness about misinformation and disinformation, with 58 percent of respondents stating that they had not received any training on identifying and dealing with fake news.

Moreover, 32 percent of respondents confessed to simply ignoring fake news, indicating a lack of understanding of the potentially devastating impacts of disinformation on society.

In response to the findings of the survey, KnowBe4 proposed a multi-pronged approach to tackle the scourge of disinformation.. As outlined by the organisation’s SVP, this approach should encompass enhanced awareness and critical thinking among users, coordinated government action to prevent the spread of fake news (including stronger legislation), and increased vigilance from social media platforms in detecting and removing disinformation campaigns.

KnowBe4 further stressed the importance of recognising disinformation as an ongoing, persistent threat, warning that it requires sustained vigilance and adaptable countermeasures.

According to Collard, tackling the proliferation of fake news necessitates an integrated approach that includes harnessing the power of technology, developing more effective preventative strategies, and most crucially, fostering critical thinking skills and media literacy among users.

“To fight it effectively, we need a combination of new technology, better ways to prevent it, and most importantly, teaching people to consume media while thinking critically, particularly if it is emotionally laden or potentially polarising content. As the digital landscape develops, so too must our strategies for maintaining the integrity of information,” the KnowBe4 SVP suggested.