On Tuesday, 20 August 2024, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), in collaboration with Trinexia, Government Communication and Information Systems and Africa Check, will host a multi-party information-sharing webinar. The event will focus on providing data and expert opinions on fake news and misinformation following recent elections.

This webinar will bring together leading experts and thought leaders to share valuable insights and data on the pervasive issue of misinformation and fake news. The session will explore the impact of fake news on public perception and democracy, as well as strategies for identifying and mitigating the spread of false information.

Researcher Avi Moodley will present a comprehensive report based on social media data from the elections, discuss observations on misinformation during this period and highlight challenges within the social media landscape. Additionally, the webinar will cover the CSIR’s expertise in problem-solving technologies, including an overview of its artificial intelligence and natural language processing capabilities.

Representatives from Trinexia a Cyber Security, forensics, governance, risk and compliance distributor of leading solutions will present on ‘ZeroFox’, a proactive technology that analyses billions of data elements across various social media and digital platforms to identify and protect against threats. These threats include impersonating social media accounts, phishing attacks, scams, deepfake videos and threats of physical harm.

Africa Check researcher Keegan Leech will discuss the most prominent false narratives that circulated around the 2024 South African election and provide broader context on false information in general.

Members of the media are invited to the webinar as follows:

Date: Tuesday, 20 August 2024
Time: 10:00 – 12:00

Link to briefing: Teams: https://l1nk.dev/9kYci

Youtube link: https://youtube.com/live/L0_iCVPLyyw?feature=share

Please RSVP to Phetolo Phatsibi, Media Relations Practitioner, at PPhatsibi@csir.co.za or 081 396 8871

For enquiries, contact:

Kulani Chauke, Acting CSIR Media Relations Manager
Cell: 071 266 0019
Email: KChauke@csir.co.za.