As tensions flared between Somalia and Ethiopia last year, social media became a breeding ground for misinformation.
One video falsely claiming to show Egyptian troops training in Somalia gained 34,000 views on the social media platform X.
But fact-checkers were able to prove the footage was old and unrelated to the current tensions.
The case was not an isolated incident in Ethiopia, or globally.
The spread of mis- or disinformation is a global phenomenon. Research has repeatedly shown how hostile groups use disinformation to further inflame tensions, create confusion and weaken trust in institutions, including government offices, nonprofits and media.
Often it falls to news outlets or fact-checking initiatives to set the record straight.
But moves by Meta to end some fact-checking tools such as CrowdTangle, and its decision in January to end a Facebook fact-check program in the U.S., have experts concerned about how to contain the spread of hate speech and disinformation.
In Ethiopia, some specialists are already seeking extra training to be able to better spot and debunk false or misleading content.
Communications specialist Netsanet Tesfaye already knew how to use tools such as Google’s reverse image search. But he sought extra training after seeing how quickly doctored images can be spread to stoke tensions.
To learn how to better spot fakes, Netsanet turned to HaqCheck, an Ethiopia-based organization set up four years ago.
"Fake information is causing great damage to organizations and the country. The methods people use have also gone from spreading simple rumors to using advanced technology such as deep fake or AI. So it was important I understand what tools are available to counter them,” Netsanet said.
Since its launch, HaqCheck has identified and debunked thousands of misleading posts shared on social media and has made it easier for the public to verify information, said Kirubel Tesfaye, lead fact-checker at HaqCheck. It also offers training.
"It wasn't until I joined HaqCheck that I began to understand the darker side of social media,” Kirubel said. “I'm constantly shocked by the lengths people will go to to disseminate false information."
Much of the misinformation Kirubel and his team deal with involves internal conflicts, border disputes, and the diplomatic tension between Ethiopia and Somalia over a port deal with Somaliland.
"We also find the prime minister's and government officials' various speeches are frequently manipulated," Kirubel said.
Dangers of disinformation
Most of the disinformation is circulated on social media. Facebook, TikTok and the Telegram messaging apps are all popular in Ethiopia.
But some platforms have been criticized for posts that stoke tensions.
A 2023 Amnesty International report alleges that Meta, Facebook's parent company, contributed to human rights abuses against the Tigrayan community in Ethiopia.
The report said Facebook’s algorithms “supercharged the spread of harmful rhetoric” and that content moderation systems failed to prevent that spread.
Noting that Facebook is widely used in Ethiopia and “considered a trustworthy news source,” Amnesty said that its “algorithms fueled devastating human rights impacts” on Tigrayans.
Prior to the conflict in Tigray, Facebook in November 2021 announced that Ethiopia was in its highest-risk category for violence, and that it had developed technology to identify hate speech in Ethiopia's four most spoken languages.
The following year, two British digital research companies found that Facebook was still approving posts containing hate speech during the conflict. The U.N.’s then-special adviser on the prevention of genocide, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, noted similar findings in her 2022 reports.
Meta does have systems in place to try to address such concerns. But in the U.S., some of those methods are being rolled back.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced a change in policy to end content moderation — its third-party fact-checking program — in the U.S.
“The fact-checkers have just been too politically biased and have destroyed more trust than they've created, especially in the U.S.,” Zuckerberg said in a January 7 video. “So, over the next couple of months, we are going to phase in a more comprehensive community notes system.”
In his message, Zuckerberg said the platform, which globally has 2.9 billion monthly users, plans to change its content policies.
Zuckerberg in August said the Biden administration had “pressured” his company to censor posts about the coronavirus pandemic. Misinformation alerts were added to Facebook and Instagram posts that contained disinformation about the pandemic or vaccines. And some posts critical of the vaccines were deleted.
Contacted by VOA’s Horn of Africa Service, Meta said it was making changes in the U.S. first and would improve its systems “before expansion to other countries.”
"There are no changes in other countries at this time, and before rolling out any changes to our fact-checking program outside of the U.S., we will carefully consider our obligations,” Meta said.
Fact-checker tool kit
Back in Ethiopia, HaqCheck fact-checkers rely on several digital tools to verify information, including reverse image search.
CrowdTangle was one such tool, helping the team analyze public content on social media. Meta shut down the tool in August, saying it didn't provide a complete picture of what was happening on its platform.
"It was a powerful tool that helped us monitor Facebook, Instagram and Reddit,” said Kirubel of HaqCheck. “Now we've reverted to manual monitoring, using keywords.”
The team employs other tools, too, including InVid, which can help researchers identify when an image was first shared, and whether or even where it was manipulated.
Beyond debunking false information, the group trains journalists, communication experts and academics. Netsanet said that this work carries special significance in countries like Ethiopia.
"False information can turn ethnic groups that lived in harmony against each other and threaten national security,” he said. “The spread of misinformation also worsens conflicts. So, fact-checking means protecting a country from all that.”
To ensure it reaches as wide an audience as possible, HaqCheck publishes verified articles on its website, social media and local TV stations.
This story originated in VOA’s Horn of Africa Service.
