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latest news & developments
Gaza, philanthropy and power: Dis-Chem drawn into online political storm
Calls to boycott Dis-Chem are intensifying after major shareholder Mark Saltzman attacked journalist Redi Tlhabi over Gaza on social media. The confrontation has sparked wider…
Crime is increasingly detected online but policing remains offline
Being digitally present is a form of accountability: it signals that the station is not hiding behind central bureaucracy when communities are scared. It also enhances…
Elections and power in the digital age
These prosecutions mark a rising pattern: as elections approach across Africa, the distance between digital civic space and state power grows
EDITORIAL | We must all reclaim our information space
A few powerful men control the dominant means of creating and sharing information in 2025
Unfiltered and unfinished: How social media reveals South Africa’s struggles with racism
Racist posts can go viral in seconds, showing the world that South Africa’s divisions are not history, and reminding us that we still have work to do
Reporters Without Borders wants big techs to give more prominence to trustworthy news content on platforms
The media freedom group said a provisional report by the Competition Commission in February ‘clearly recognises journalism’s value in the content circulating on online platforms’
Tweeting ministers, silent ministries: SA’s missed opportunity in digital governance
Those in government must stop using social media for public relations and start using it as a means of two-way communication with citizens
Diplomacy by tweet: Trump, the spectacle and the politics of chaos
To resist this performance politics, characterised by shock-and-awe tactics through social media, we must organise and mobilise in different spaces rather than merely engaging…
The era of misinformation and disinformation is a global crisis
The battle against this manipulation is collective, requiring unified action from all who seek to preserve democracy and human rights
Presidency: Ramaphosa corrected Musk’s misconception of SA
President Cyril Ramaphosa hopes to hold discussions with the US’s Donald Trump to move beyond ‘current disturbances’ in South Africa’s relationship with Washington
Imagining a better digital public sphere
X, Facebook and Instagram exercise ordinate and often pernicious power, which must be contested and socially enriching alternatives developed
Tech is already being used to manipulate us
From Egypt to South Africa, fake accounts, bots and generative AI are manipulating African politics. And 2024 is a record year for elections
Toe-to-toe steers ‘Chief Twit’ from the brink
This is an edited extract from Ben Mezrich’s new book called Breaking Twitter
Musk’s X launches court fight with Australian watchdog
The billionaire has cut more than 80% of the platform’s workforce, including moderators tasked with stamping out abusive content
Tech firms struggle as Israel-Gaza falsehoods explode
There are fears that misinformation could trigger real-world harm, amplifying hate and violence especially in conflicts such as in Israel/Palestine