As more than half of the world's population prepares to participate in presidential, parliamentary, regional, or municipal elections in 2024, an estimated 4.1 billion voters could be exposed to disinformation, warns the international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF). In a release signed by Christophe Deloire, the Secretary-General, RSF highlighted the vulnerability of democracies during election periods, emphasizing the significant impact a single piece of fake news can have on the integrity of the vote.
Eight of the world's ten most populous countries, including the United States, Ghana, Mauritania, Uruguay, Mozambique, Rwanda, Indonesia, Chad, Namibia, and Algeria, are set to hold elections in 2024. RSF expressed concern about the potential spread of disinformation during these elections, citing recent incidents where fake recordings produced with artificial intelligence caused confusion.
RSF emphasized that the danger of disinformation is amplified by the availability of easy-to-use software capable of creating content that is nearly indistinguishable from authentic material. The organization noted that existing democratic mechanisms are not fully prepared to combat this new type of fake news.
Acknowledging the declining access to reliable and independent news reporting in some countries where journalism has been undermined, RSF declared its commitment to making election coverage and the integrity of elections a priority area of work in 2024. The organization has initiated various measures, including journalist training, the development of a manual on election security, distribution of protective equipment, and advocacy targeting candidates to incorporate proposals for promoting the right to reliable reporting into their programs.
RSF concluded its release by emphasizing the crucial role of reliable, unimpeded, and independent news reporting during election periods, underscoring the need for continued efforts to safeguard the integrity of elections globally.