MACRA Plans Social Media Monitoring System to Track Fake News
The announcement comes as Malawi seeks to combat the spread of false information online.
LILONGWE, Malawi — Malawi's communications regulator announced Tuesday it intends to contract a Ghanaian company to build a system for monitoring misinformation on social media platforms, writes Ireen Kayira.
The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) plans to award the contract to HASCOM Ghana Limited pending final procurement procedures through January 27, 2025.
The system will track and analyze public social media content for misinformation trends.
"This platform will help us analyze trends regarding fake news and misinformation being distributed on public social media platforms," said MACRA Director General Daud Suleman at a press briefing in Lilongwe.
"As digital media grows, it is crucial to equip Malawians with the necessary capacities to distinguish between reliable and unreliable information."
Suleman emphasized the system will only monitor public posts, not private communications.
The platform will include technical algorithms to identify potential misinformation and could provide evidence for court cases involving social media abuse.
The announcement comes as Malawi seeks to combat the spread of false information online.
Suleman said the system will target misinformation regardless of its source within Malawi's digital space.