The Institute for Public Policy Research says AI and social media spread false information during the 2024 elections. Their recent report studied problems from November 2024 through March 2025. They discovered people used AI mainly for attacks against opponents, especially with fake voice messages on WhatsApp groups. Project leader Federico Links talked about an AI-created video falsely showing President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah collapsing at a rally last year.
Links felt upset that news outlets never checked if this video was real before sharing it. He blamed media companies for reporting fake stories without fact-checking first. This behavior makes fewer people trust what journalists say these days. The report also found foreign propaganda on social media against Independent Patriots for Change leader Panduleni Itula. False claims said he wanted to sell Namibia to outsiders and took money from British officials.
The British government had to release a statement saying these rumors were untrue. But, Links pointed out that people kept spreading lies on social media anyway. He stressed that we need better education to help everyone spot fake news. AI has become very hard to detect because it looks extremely real. Links believes schools must teach media literacy starting from early grades as its separate subject to protect citizens from manipulation.
Some politicians used social media positively to connect with voters, but others just attacked the ruling party. IPPR director Graham Hopwood worried about how people share posts without checking sources first. He said topics like race, immigration, and gender often fuel division. False information makes Namibian society more divided every day. Another problem happens when fake news comes through trusted-looking channels that copy respected media brands. Hopwood wants better training programs to help everyone recognize suspicious information they see.
Links felt upset that news outlets never checked if this video was real before sharing it. He blamed media companies for reporting fake stories without fact-checking first. This behavior makes fewer people trust what journalists say these days. The report also found foreign propaganda on social media against Independent Patriots for Change leader Panduleni Itula. False claims said he wanted to sell Namibia to outsiders and took money from British officials.
The British government had to release a statement saying these rumors were untrue. But, Links pointed out that people kept spreading lies on social media anyway. He stressed that we need better education to help everyone spot fake news. AI has become very hard to detect because it looks extremely real. Links believes schools must teach media literacy starting from early grades as its separate subject to protect citizens from manipulation.
Some politicians used social media positively to connect with voters, but others just attacked the ruling party. IPPR director Graham Hopwood worried about how people share posts without checking sources first. He said topics like race, immigration, and gender often fuel division. False information makes Namibian society more divided every day. Another problem happens when fake news comes through trusted-looking channels that copy respected media brands. Hopwood wants better training programs to help everyone recognize suspicious information they see.
