WeeklySA_AdminDISINFORMATION: Cloned voices, fabricated recordings and messages posing as trusted officials could spread election disinformation through community networks, a telecommunications industry body warns…
By WSAM Reporter
South African voters could face convincing fake voice notes and messages impersonating candidates or election officials during the local government elections, the Communications Risk Information Centre (COMRiC) has warned.
The telecommunications industry body says technologies already exploited by fraudsters — including artificial intelligence-powered voice cloning, deepfakes and compromised accounts — could be used to mislead voters, inflame community tensions and undermine confidence in the electoral process.
Its chief executive, Advocate Thokozani Mvelase, says the risk is particularly relevant to local elections, where information moves rapidly through community WhatsApp groups, social media and direct messages.
“A convincing voice note apparently from a ward candidate, a fraudulent message claiming that a voting station has moved or an AI-generated recording designed to provoke anger in a particular community could potentially spread within minutes,” he says.
“The danger is not simply that false information can travel quickly. Technology is making that false information increasingly convincing.”
COMRiC stresses that its warning does not mean such interference will necessarily occur. Rather, impersonation techniques already encountered in telecommunications fraud demonstrate why voters, political organisations and authorities should be alert.
A not-for-profit body bringing telecommunications operators together to tackle shared crime and security risks, COMRiC says fraudsters increasingly exploit trust in familiar people and organisations. They use urgency, fear and emotion to pressure recipients into acting before checking a claim.
In an election setting, that manipulation could have consequences beyond financial loss: a fabricated recording could damage a candidate’s reputation, while a false message about voting arrangements could misdirect voters.
Mvelase warns that recognising a voice, photograph, name or telephone number is no longer sufficient proof of who is behind a communication.
“In the past, recognising someone’s voice or seeing a familiar name or number on your phone gave you a degree of confidence about who you were dealing with. That assumption is becoming increasingly dangerous.”
He says AI can make impersonation highly convincing, creating a challenge for communities accustomed to receiving information through personal networks.
The danger is not simply that false information can travel quickly. Technology is making that false information increasingly convincing…
COMRiC urges voters to follow a simple rule when unexpected or provocative election information arrives: stop, verify and do not amplify.
Messages that provoke shock, fear or anger, or demand immediate action, should prompt extra scrutiny. Claims apparently coming from candidates, political parties, community leaders or election officials should be checked independently before recipients act on them.
Information about voting stations, registration, voting dates and electoral procedures should be verified directly with the Electoral Commission of South Africa.
Mvelase also cautions against forwarding suspicious material to a group merely to ask whether it is genuine.
“Every time suspicious content is forwarded, its potential audience grows. You can inadvertently become part of the distribution network for the very disinformation you are trying to question.”
Instead, COMRiC advises recipients to preserve evidence of communications that appear fraudulent or deliberately misleading. Screenshots, telephone numbers, messages and voice notes could help investigators and telecommunications operators identify patterns of suspicious activity.
Suspected election disinformation should be reported through the appropriate electoral channels, while suspected telecommunications fraud should also be reported to the relevant network operator.
Mvelase says tackling the threat will require cooperation between telecommunications operators, financial institutions, technology platforms, electoral authorities and law enforcement.
“No single organisation can deal with this problem in isolation. Malicious actors exploit the gaps between systems, institutions, and industries.”
For voters, his central advice is straightforward: “Before you believe it, before you act on it and especially before you share it, verify it.”
