IEC brings Google, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok in to fight election lies before 4 November
A gazetted disinformation code and direct platform access are meant to get false election claims corrected fast, with Real411 taking complaints in all eleven official languages.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa has signed a partnership with Google, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok, and with the non-profit Moxii Africa, to protect the integrity of election information and counter disinformation ahead of the 4 November 2026 Local Government Elections.
The arrangement repeats a framework the Commission signed with the platforms before the 2024 National and Provincial Elections. The Commission describes it as a sequel to that agreement and as one lever among the measures it is using to keep election information sound.
Those measures include the Electoral Code of Conduct Countering Disinformation in the Local Government Elections, gazetted on 4 September 2026. The code applies to political parties, candidates and anyone acting on their behalf. It forms part of the Electoral Code of Conduct and carries the same sanctions.
According to the Commission, the partnership brings the platforms into the same effort to keep election information accurate and trustworthy. Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo said the inclusion of the online platforms gives the Commission direct access to them and what he called a real fighting chance against disinformation.
“Our partnership with digital platforms is critical to ensuring that voters have access to credible, accurate and trustworthy information to make informed political choices. A technically flawless election can still lose public trust if citizens are overwhelmed by disinformation,” Mamabolo said.
“Therefore, the partnership eliminates barriers to direct access to the platforms and enables instantaneous remedial action against disinformation peddlers.”
The partnership covers cooperation in good faith during the election period and respect for existing laws, with no requirement to share confidential user data. It commits the partners to alignment with the Constitution, municipal electoral laws and the Electoral Code of Conduct, including the disinformation code.
It also provides for a working group of partners, election awareness campaigns, and training on disinformation for political parties, candidates and other stakeholders. Platforms keep room to apply their own policies, including content removal, advisory warnings and delisting, and the partners will cooperate on other initiatives intended to curb the impact of disinformation in elections.
The Commission has designated the Real411 platform to support its efforts during the 2026 elections. Suspected election-related disinformation can be reported at real411.org.za or through the Real411 app, and complaints are handled in all eleven official languages. Real411 assesses complaints independently and recommends action to the Commission and the platforms.
Depending on what a complaint establishes, and after its own review, the Commission can refer the matter to the Electoral Court, which can impose sanctions. It can refer the matter promptly to the relevant online platform, which is expected to prioritise referrals from the Commission by acknowledging and swiftly processing the notification in line with its policies. It can also issue media statements to alert the public and correct the disinformation.
Guidance for voters on spotting, checking and reporting disinformation is published at www.elections.org.za/pw/Elections-And-Results/Report-Election-Disinformation.
The partners welcomed the agreement and said they already run policies and mechanisms against disinformation and will keep using them.
“Free, fair and credible elections depend on people being able to trust the information they see. No single organisation can tackle disinformation alone, which is why Microsoft is pleased to join the Electoral Commission in this partnership,” said Abongile Vanda, director of government affairs at Microsoft South Africa.
“Ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections, we will work alongside the Commission, civil society and industry to help voters find authoritative election information, strengthen media and AI literacy, and counter deceptive AI-generated content.”
TikTok’s government relations and public policy lead for Southern Africa, Tholoana Ncheke-Mahlaela, said the platform recognises the role it plays in helping people find information and join public conversations.
“Through our in-app Election Centre, South Africans will be able to access reliable information about the elections, and to further support this, we have introduced election-related labels and search banners that direct users to the centre with a single tap,” she said.
“This work is supported by advanced moderation, collaboration with fact-checking partners and electoral commissions like the IEC South Africa to ensure a safe, informed, and authentic election experience for our community.”
Moxii Africa director William Bird said information integrity is fundamental to the credibility of any democratic process, and that protecting voters in a more complex digital environment requires coordinated action across institutions, platforms, civil society and citizens.
“This partnership represents an important commitment to ensuring that South Africans can access accurate, trustworthy election information and participate in the 2026 Local Government Elections with confidence,” Bird said.
He said he is proud to support the effort to strengthen trust, transparency and democratic resilience.
This account is drawn from the SAnews (South African Government News Agency) report of the announcement, published at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/iec-enters-partnership-counter-disinformation, rather than from the partnership agreement or the gazetted code itself. The Commission’s own statements on how referrals will be handled are carried as the Commission states them.
