misinformation

ADF STAFF Central African journalist Ephrem Yalike-Ngonzo recalls the first time he was approached by a Russian man named Micha who offered him 200,000 CFA francs (about $320) per month to spread disinformation and propaganda for the…

ADF STAFF After years of restricting online dissent, Zambia emerged in 2024 as a model for improved internet freedom, according to the most recent Freedom on the Net report by Freedom House. Zambia saw the biggest improvement in internet…

ADF STAFF At first glance, and by design, Russian Houses in Africa appear to be like any other nation’s cultural exchange centers. On its Facebook page, the Russian House in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), calls…

ADF STAFF The TikTok video spread like an out-of-control fire in October. Dramatic music swelled in the background while the video frantically jumped from clips of security forces in action to police vehicles mobilizing with flashing…

ADF STAFF By the time Burkina Faso’s health ministry declared an epidemic of dengue fever on October 18, 2023, there already were thousands of cases and hundreds of deaths. The World Health Organization (WHO) said it was the West African…

ADF STAFF Disinformation campaigns seeking to manipulate African information systems have increased nearly fourfold since 2022. That is according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS), which linked disinformation campaigns…

ADF STAFF A new Russian news service is drawing criticism for spreading misleading and harmful information in Africa. The African Initiative is an online platform with deep ties to the notorious Russian mercenary outfit formerly known as…

ADF STAFF As global outrage grew over its invasion of neighboring Ukraine, Russia in 2023 began ramping up its efforts to change the narrative. Seeking to influence public opinion, the Kremlin expanded its information warfare operations…

ADF STAFF South Africa’s Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) organization is developing an artificial intelligence tool designed to monitor social media posts and flag those suspected of inciting violence. Insights into Incitement, shortened to…

ADF STAFF In Somalia, terror group al-Shabaab has spent years gaining and losing ground. But in the digital domain, al-Shabaab has limitless space in which to expand. It’s where one of the world’s best-financed terror groups spreads its…