By Kaya 959 News
Communities have been urged to double-check what they post and share online.
Acting Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said there has been a disturbing trend where false information is deliberately circulated to drive a certain agenda.
“Those who post such fake or false news are intent on creating fear or panic. We cannot and must not allow those with malicious agendas to sow discord and disharmony,” she said.
Speaking during the Ministry’s daily briefing, Ntshavheni said there have been cases where people have reposted and shared false or fake news in the form of pictures, videos, news links, public posts, or voice notes.
She said many people are unaware that what they have shared is fake, false, or downright dangerous.
Government calls on everyone to think twice before simply sharing or reposting content you have received.
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How to spot fake news
Fake or false news is often easy to spot. A simple Google search on a topic or occurrence will quickly reveal that what has been shared is fake or false.
Ntshavheni said similarly, a reverse image search on Google will reveal if a picture has been used before. This is an easy way to see if something that has been shared is relevant to a current issue or situation, or is an old image or video that is being used to inflame the current situation.
Resources such as https://africacheck.org/ contain a wealth of information on spotting fake news, and regularly fact-check issues in the communication environment. What’s Crap on WhatsApp is also a handy resource to both identify and report fake or false information shared on WhatsApp.
Ntshavheni, said the official government website https://www.gov.za/ has all the latest news, speeches and statements about the work of government, as well as headline news. It is a one-stop portal for news and information and has a wealth of additional resources.
Another useful site is https://www.real411.org where you can report four types of digital offences namely, disinformation, hate speech, incitement to violence and journalist harassment.
Another useful resource is the MySAPS App, which is a free, crime-reporting mobile application available for smartphones on Google Play store and the Apple App store.
The App allows citizens to interact with law enforcement officials more effectively by:
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providing tip-offs anonymously through the App
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finding the nearest police stations and facilities
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Quick access to all official SAPS Social Media platforms.
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