With the growing amount of fake news being spread on several social media channels, especially during the covid-19 pandemic, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has unveiled a solution that will help reduce the spread of fake news, offensive and illegal content.
Unscrupulous content creators have taken advantage of the digital information age to publish and distribute “disinformation” and so-called “fake news” – new forms of propaganda intentionally designed to mislead the reader.
The commission has noted in a blog post, that there has been a surge in false information online, taking advantage of people’s fears and anxiety about COVID-19. Misleading information purporting to be useful tips has gone viral, including the claim that holding your breath is a method to test for the virus, or that gargling salt or liquor can prevent infection. Acting on such unofficial and unproven information can put the lives of unsuspecting members of the public at serious risk.
Eng. Irene Kaggwa Sewankambo, the Acting Executive Director at Uganda Communications Commission, says “disinformation is often not a mistake but rather deliberate creation and sharing of false or manipulated information with the intent to deceive and mislead audiences, either to cause harm or for political, personal or financial gain.”
UCC, through its UgCERT (Computer Emergency Response Team), is committed to fighting against the spread of “fake news” in line with its mandate to set standards, monitor, and enforce compliance relating to content.
Its a manual process but better than having nothing at all
In collaboration with different Government authorities and agencies, the Commission will work to protect members of the public from false, misleading and thus potentially dangerous information. Research has shown that the more a claim is repeated, and shared, the more likely it is to be believed. Accordingly, over the coming months, the UgCERT team will fact-check suspicious information and push sources of false claims to correct the record.
Before you circulate any information online from any source you are not sure of UCC advises to be vigilant and to exercise due diligence by verifying the authenticity of any news stories or reports from unofficial sources before believing and acting on them. A request to check a piece of information can be sent to 0791 847 828 (WhatsApp); Email: factcheck@ucc.co.ug; Blog: https://ug-cert.ug/fake-news/ for verification and fact-checking.
UCC has further come out to warn all individuals who deliberately create, publish and distribute “fake news” that they should desist from the habit as it is a criminal offense under the Computer Misuse Act 2011 and other laws.
