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DA wants Icasa inquiry into “fake news” in SA

The DA has called on Icasa to institute an inquiry into the proliferation of “fake news” in South African media.

This is after it was revealed in a amaBhungane report that the ANC had allegedly set up R50 million campaign to spread fake news and push propaganda on social media against the DA and EFF before last year’s Municipal Elections.

“With the recent revelations of the ANC’s “black ops” campaign involving spreading fake news stories about opposition parties, including the DA, to influence our country’s electoral process, we need the necessary authorities to act in order to protect the credibility of the media,” the party’s spokesperson, Phumzile van Damme, said.

The DA describes fake news as “the deliberate publishing and broadcasting of hoaxes and propaganda campaigns based on disinformation in order to advance a specific political or otherwise agenda”, calling it a threat to the country’s democracy.

It wants an inquiry to audit all of South Africa’s broadcast licensees to measure whether there has been an increased reliance on fake news, to identify those responsible, and to then provide solutions.

“The media space is constantly evolving and Icasa needs to evolve with it,” van Damme added.

“The DA will be submitting an official request to ICASA for this investigation and trusts that it will view it with the seriousness it deserves.”

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