Dar es Salaam – As Tanzania heads to the polls on October 29, 2025, a rising tide of mis- and disinformation circulating on social media platforms threatens to undermine the electoral process, manipulate voter decisions, and erode democratic trust, prompting a multi-stakeholder scramble to safeguard the information landscape.

With the official campaign season underway, the digital sphere has become a key battleground where false narratives, fabricated content, and targeted propaganda are spreading rapidly. 

Civil society organisations, media practitioners, and election officials are raising alarms over the potential for these digital falsehoods to influence the outcome of the presidential and parliamentary polls. 

The challenge is not merely about the volume of fake news, but its sophistication and the speed at which it travels through platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and encrypted WhatsApp groups.

Maxence Melo, the director of JamiiAfrica, a civil society organisation that runs the fact-checking platform JamiiCheck, underscored the gravity of the situation. 

“Any human depends on information to make correct decisions, so poor information can cause poor decisions too,” he stated during a recent interview with The Chanzo, highlighting how manipulated information directly impacts the electorate’s ability to make sound judgments.

The scale of the problem

Recent data quantifies the scale of the problem. A report by JamiiCheck covering the first half of 2025 revealed that out of 192 claims it investigated, 67 per cent were false and 22 per cent were misleading. 

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Crucially, election-related claims dominated, accounting for 63 per cent of all fact-checked content, with opposition parties being the primary target of these disinformation campaigns.

Journalists and media houses find themselves on the front lines of this information war. Faki Ubwa, a journalist with the MwanaHalisi newspaper, noted the increasing professionalism behind the fake news. 

“For now, during this election period, I feel there is a group that is running propaganda by spreading misinformation,” he said, explaining how purveyors of fake news mimic the branding of trusted media outlets like Mwananchi or Millard Ayo to lend credibility to their fabricated content.

The ruling party, Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM), has taken proactive steps to combat misinformation targeting its own communications. In July 2025, the party launched a QR code verification system for all official party posts, allowing the public to authenticate information. 

According to Amos Gabriel Makalla, the party’s then secretary of ideology, publicity, and training, “Any false information created by individuals with malicious intent to cause chaos and mislead the public will not appear on official party platforms once the QR Code is scanned.” 

This initiative came after fake reports bearing the party’s logo circulated on social media, including false claims about selecting a new presidential candidate.

Institutional efforts

In response to the broader disinformation challenge, state institutions have pledged to take action. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for example, has been actively debunking false claims, particularly those aimed at discrediting the voting process itself. 

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After viral reports alleged its systems were integrated with the national identity database and a political party, INEC Director of Election Ramadhani Kailima issued a strong rebuttal. He clarified that the voting, counting, and result declaration processes are entirely manual to ensure transparency and allow for verification by party agents and observers.

However, these institutional efforts face significant challenges. Studies note that public trust in key institutions has been declining, which undermines their effectiveness in combating misinformation. 

A 2021 survey revealed that 66 per cent of Tanzanians either completely distrust or have little trust in Parliament, with researchers warning of a “deep institutional crisis.” This trust deficit means that when official bodies attempt to counter false information, their messages may be met with scepticism rather than acceptance.

The police have also issued stern warnings about online misconduct. Police spokesperson David Misime confirmed that the force is monitoring digital platforms for illegal activity. “Anyone caught using social media to incite violence, spread lies or harass others will face the law,” he said, stressing that technology cannot be a shield for criminality.

Yet this approach raises concerns about potential overreach and interference with freedom of expression. While some citizens welcome police intervention against misinformation, others worry about the abuse of this mandate. 

These concerns are not unfounded, given Tanzania’s recent history of prosecuting individuals for online content. Human rights organisations have documented restrictions on free expression, including social media censorship and arrests under cybercrime laws, while calling for for an end to mass arrests and arbitrary detentions of government critics. 

The challenge lies in distinguishing between legitimate law enforcement against harmful misinformation and suppression of legitimate political discourse.

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This situation is not unique to Tanzania. Across Africa, countries are grappling with similar challenges. In Kenya’s 2022 election, the government and the United Nations collaborated on a national anti-hate speech plan and an innovative real-time monitoring consortium to counter a “tidal wave of disinformation.”

This multi-stakeholder model, which brought together AI startups, youth media platforms, and civil society, is seen as a potential blueprint. Similarly, Ghana has used community radio for civic education, while Nigerian fact-checkers have formed coalitions to debunk false claims during their elections.

Multi-pronged approach

Experts suggest that a multi-pronged approach is essential. A report from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a global think tank advancing international cooperation, argues there is “no silver bullet” and recommends a diversified portfolio of interventions. 

This includes immediate tactical actions like fact-checking and content labelling, combined with long-term structural reforms such as supporting local journalism and expanding media literacy education.

Emerging technologies offer additional hope. The Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), for example, has developed standards that could help address the authenticity crisis. 

Research by BBC R&D shows that C2PA technology can cryptographically attach provenance information to digital content, creating a tamper-evident record of how content was created, modified, and whether AI was involved. 

Early trials suggest that 83 per cent of users trust media more after seeing such “Content Credentials,” while 96 per cent found the information useful and informative. Experts hope that the technology could be particularly valuable in election contexts where the authenticity of images, videos, and documents is crucial.

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For now, Tanzanian stakeholders are bracing for the final weeks of the campaign. Fact-checkers like Nuzulack Dausen of Nukta Africa are working to educate the public, while media editors like Salome Kitomary of Nipashe are reinforcing verification protocols. 

Yet, as citizens like Diana Roman from Dar es Salaam point out, the challenge is compounded when official bodies are slow to release information, forcing people to turn to less reliable sources.

Anthony Rwekaza is a freelance journalist based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He’s available at anthonyrwekaza9@gmail.com.