Viral video of President Joe Biden threatening sanctions on SA if ANC win elections dismissed as fake news
Viral video of President Joe Biden threatening sanctions on SA if ANC win elections dismissed as fake news
Africa Check has dismissed a video, of United States President Joe Biden purportedly threatening sanctions against South Africa, as fake news.
In a video clip that has gone viral on social media platforms, Biden warns that if the African National Party (ANC) wins the 2024 elections, the US will impose sanctions on SA.
According to a statement by non-profit fact checking organisation, Africa Check, the video is an AI-generated video.
In the video, the US president purportedly says: “If the ANC wins the next election, we will impose immediate sanctions and declare South Africa an enemy state. The whole of the European Union will back us with this and together we will fight for the freedom of South Africans. This is our message to the world.”
Africa Check said with South Africans heading to the polls in May, there is already an uptick in election-related misinformation doing the rounds on social media.
A cybersecurity expert is warning the members of the public to be wary of highly realistic fake videos or images shared via social media that could sway voter opinion as the elections draw closer.
Cyber security firm KnowBe4 Africa’s Anna Collard said deepfakes, which are highly realistic fabricated videos or images, can deceive voters, manipulate public opinion, and tarnish the reputation of political parties and politicians.
In a bid to combat the spread of fake news, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) and Media Monitoring Africa have launched an initiative called Padre, which allows voters to fact-check information regarding South African political parties and their statements.
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