Thraets, a pro-democracy civic tech research lab focused on combating digital threats to democracy in the global south, is thrilled to announce the addition of three distinguished professionals to its advisory board: Simon Engelbrecht, Belinda Nichols, and Richard Zulu.
With extensive and diverse expertise in digital security, resilient technology development, technology education, and innovation support, we believe that these leaders will bring invaluable insights that will further our mission.
Simon Engelbrecht brings over two decades of experience in creating resilient technologies for challenging environments. Formerly the CTO of Refugees United (REFUNITE), Simon pioneered SMS and USSD systems that connected displaced families in low-connectivity areas like Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya. His innovative solutions have had a profound impact on humanitarian efforts across Africa. Currently, Simon holds advisory roles at Mastercard Lighthouse and Copenhagen Fintech, where he continues to advocate for sustainable, user-centred technologies. His expertise in offline-first solutions will be invaluable as Thraets develops tools for protest documentation and other critical applications in resource-constrained settings.
BeLinda Nichols is an accomplished educator and writer who brings a passion for digital empowerment and technology education to Thraets’ advisory board. With a background that includes training hundreds of university students in mobile and web development during her time at Google, BeLinda has been a driving force in fostering tech talent across East and West Africa. As the founder of Nayah Solutions, she has implemented tech and entrepreneurship programs in Tanzania and Senegal, partnering with organizations like UNIDO and USAID. Her initiatives include developing mobile app curricula for SUZA Zanzibar and teaching teenagers Android App Inventor. BeLinda’s expertise in technical communication and hands-on experience with technology education in emerging markets will help Thraets create accessible and impactful training programs for communities worldwide.
Richard Zulu, the founder and lead at Outbox, an innovation and entrepreneurship support organization in Uganda. Richard brings over twelve years of experience in building support systems for startups, software developer communities, and small and growing businesses in Uganda. Through Outbox, Richard has designed and managed innovation challenge initiatives in collaboration with partners such as Google, NSSF, UNFPA, UNICEF, and MTN Uganda. His work has supported over 100 businesses annually, helping them become more competitive and investment-ready. Richard is passionate about leveraging human-centered design approaches for product development and is an East African Acumen Fellow (2014) and a US International Visitors Leadership Program alumnus. His expertise in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship will be instrumental in guiding Thraets’ efforts to create sustainable and impactful solutions.
Simon Engelbrecht, BeLinda Nichols, and Richard Zulu each bring unique perspectives and a shared commitment to leveraging technology for social good. We are confident that their collective expertise in digital security, resilient technology development, technology education, and innovation support aligns perfectly with Thraets’ mission to combat digital threats. As members of the advisory board, they will play a pivotal role in shaping Thraets’ strategic direction and ensuring that our initiatives are both impactful and sustainable.
As the world moves into the era of artificial intelligence, the rise of deepfakes and AI-generated media poses a significant threat to the integrity of democratic processes, especially in countries with fragile democracies. The integrity of democratic processes is particularly crucial because it ensures fairness, accountability, and citizen engagement. When compromised, democracy’s foundational values—and society’s trust in its leaders and institutions—are at risk. Protecting democracy in the AI era means staying vigilant and keeping an eye and a database of verified AI manipulations to safeguard the truth and maintain the health of free societies.
In the Global South, political stability is often precarious and elections can be influenced by mis/disinformation, which is much easier to access these days. The barrier to creating disinformation is no longer technical skill or cost these tools are now readily accessible and often free. All it takes is malicious intent to create and amplify false content at scale. There is an increasing risk that these authoritarian regimes could weaponise AI-generated mis/disinformation to manipulate public opinion, undermine elections, or silence dissent. Through fabricated videos of political figures, false news reports, and manipulated media, such regimes exploit advanced technologies to sow confusion and mistrust among the electorate, further destabilizing the already fragile democracies.
While social media platforms and AI companies continue to develop detection tools, these solutions remain limited in their ability to fully address the growing threat of synthetic disinformation, especially in culturally and linguistically diverse regions like the Global South. Detection algorithms typically depend on recognizing patterns, such as unnatural blinking, mismatched lip movements, or anomalies in facial expressions, but these models are often trained on specific data from the West that doesn’t account for nuances from the Global South. This limited scope enables deepfake creators to exploit local cultural cues and dialectical subtleties, producing media that automated detection systems struggle to accurately detect. This gap then leaves many communities vulnerable to disinformation, particularly during critical events like elections.
This rapid evolution of deepfake technology has shown the need for a stronger, combined approach that combines human and machine intelligence. Human insight is crucial in identifying context-specific inconsistencies that AI might overlook, making a collaborative model essential in countering these challenges in politically sensitive regions. Recognizing this need, Thraets developed Community Fakes, an incident database and central repository for researchers. On this platform, individuals can join forces to contribute, submit and share deepfakes and other AI-altered media. Community Fakes amplifies the strengths of human observation alongside AI tools, creating a more adaptable and comprehensive defence against disinformation and strengthening the fight for truth in media by empowering users to upload and collaborate on suspect content.
Community Fakes will crowdsource human intelligence to complement AI-based detection and, in turn, this will allow users to leverage their unique insights to spot inconsistencies in AI-generated media that machines may overlook while having conversations with other experts around the observed patterns. Users can submit suspected deepfakes on the platform, which the global community can then scrutinize, verify, and expose. This approach ensures that even the most convincing deepfakes can be exposed before they can do irreparable harm. Community Fakes will provide data sets that can be used to analyse AI content from the Global South by combining the efforts of grassroots activists, researchers, journalists and fact-checkers across different regions, languages, and cultures.
To further strengthen the fight against disinformation, Thraets is also providing an API, allowing journalists, fact-checking organizations, and other platforms to programmatically access the Community Fakes database. This will streamline the process of verifying media during crucial moments like elections and enable real-time fact-checking of viral content. With the growing need for robust verification tools, this API offers an essential resource for newsrooms and digital platforms to protect the truth.
The launch of Community Fakes comes at a critical time when the world is facing unprecedented challenges in combating disinformation and misinformation. Automated tools alone are not enough, especially in regions where AI may lack the necessary contextual understanding to flag manipulations. The combined power of AI and human intelligence offers the best chance to protect the integrity of information and safeguard democratic processes.
Thraets invites everyone— journalists, fact-checkers, or everyday citizens—to collaborate in identifying and exposing deepfakes. We encourage everyone to become part of Community Fakes and join the global effort to combat disinformation. You can play a crucial role in protecting the integrity of information during pivotal events like elections by contributing your skills and insights.
How to use Community Fakes
Logging Into the Platform Begin by navigating to the login page of the PLATFORM website community.thraets.org You will be prompted to sign in using your email account. Select the desired account or add a new one if it’s not listed. Once authenticated, you’ll be redirected to the dashboard.
2. Editing an Incident Screenshot Reference: Edit the incident screen with fields like URL, Type, Category, and Narrative. Navigate to the “Edit Incident” page to update or create an entry. Fill in the necessary fields: URL: Provide the link to the source of the fake or misinformation. Type: Select the type of content (e.g., image, video, text). Category: Categorize the incident appropriately (e.g., Political, Social, Health). Narrative: Provide a clear and concise description of the issue. For example, “Hanifa, Boniface Mwangi, and the rest. We have one country.” Optional fields include: Archive URL: Link to an archived version of the content. Archive Screenshot: Add a URL linking to a screenshot of the archived content. Toggle the “Verified” option to confirm authenticity and click Update Incident.
Best Practices When categorizing content, choose the most relevant option to enhance searchability. Use credible archive tools like Archive.is to document content, ensuring it is preserved even if deleted from its source. Regularly review updates to ensure all incidents remain accurate and useful for the community.
Alternatively, you can send an email to [email protected] and our analysts will upload the incident for you.
Visit Community fakes today to help safeguard the truth and ensure a better-informed world.
The phrase “When America sneezes, the world catches a cold” vividly captures the global influence of the United States. As one of the world’s largest economies and a dominant cultural, political, and technological force, shifts in America’s policies, economy, or even social trends often ripple outward, impacting countries far beyond its borders.
From financial markets that react to changes in U.S. economic indicators to political movements that draw inspiration from American ideals, America’s actions frequently set off chain reactions that shape the global landscape. Due to this, the world is tuning into the U.S. presidential election. Though far from American soil, these regions are deeply connected to U.S. policy, especially in terms of trade, security, aid, and governance support. The election results over the past years have reshaped international relations, reconfigured trade dynamics, and shifted the balance of power within global institutions.
Today, on November 5, 2024, all eyes are once again on America. The Global South is bracing for the potential impacts of the U.S. election, aware that its outcome will inevitably shape their futures for better or worse.
Historically, U.S. foreign policy has profoundly impacted developing nations, at times destabilizing entire economies and governments through economic sanctions and military interventions. In countries like Cuba and Zimbabwe, prolonged sanctions have crippled local economies, resulting in poverty, limited access to global markets, and stunted growth. Meanwhile, American military interventions in Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria, carried out under the promise of democracy and freedom, have often left behind enduring instability, weakened infrastructures, and humanitarian crises. While some U.S. interventions fostered development and growth, others have left a legacy of division, economic collapse, and mistrust.
Although each new U.S. administration, whether Republican or Democrat, brings its own distinct foreign policy approach, these policies often uphold a core commitment to protecting U.S. interests. For the Global South, which frequently relies on multilateral institutions like NATO, the United Nations and the World Bank for developmental aid, trade, and security, the nature of U.S. engagement remains particularly crucial. Under one administration, foreign aid and cooperation may flourish, while another might lean toward a more self-centred, isolationist approach, leaving vulnerable regions with fewer resources.
African nations, who have been called shitholes by former president Trump, have a unique stake in U.S. elections due to the continent’s reliance on foreign aid, security partnerships, and investment opportunities. In a recent poll conducted by Larry Madowo, a CNN International Correspondent, many respondents from African countries expressed support for former President Trump, citing the point that he speaks his mind and his conservative values. Both major U.S. political parties usually express interest in African affairs. For example, Trump’s Republican-led administration focused on fighting China’s growing influence in Africa and growing private sector investments. On the other hand, The Democratic Party’s policies have prioritised development aid and human rights in Africa. However, Biden’s administration has faced criticism for a perceived disconnect between stated intentions and tangible actions, as seen by his limited direct engagement with the continent during his term. President Biden has yet to visit the continent, only promising to visit Angola in the last weeks of his Presidency, and with Vice President Kamala Harris representing the administration by visiting Ghana, Zambia and Tanzania to strengthen ties.
When it comes to relations with China and Russia, the world is seeing how these two giants are currently dominating the world economic stage. As the U.S.-China/Russia rivalry intensifies, countries in the Global South face pressure to align with the SuperPower that offers the most promise for economic growth at the cost of maintaining authoritarian regimes in power, making the navigation of this geopolitical divide increasingly difficult. The U.S. election outcome could either ease or heighten these tensions, pushing developing nations to either choose sides or strike a careful balance between competing powers. China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), for instance, offers substantial infrastructural investment, which appeals to many developing countries seeking modernization. However, the BRI has also drawn criticism for creating debt dependencies, with some viewing this as a form of economic neo-colonialism. The results of the U.S. election will significantly impact whether countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America choose to align more closely with the U.S. or China, particularly in light of the emerging influence of BRICS.
The U.S. has long been seen as a beacon of democracy, yet recent events have shaken this image, weakening its influence over global governments. The January 6th, 2021 insurrection, where a sitting president actively refused to transfer power and citizens protested election results violently, highlighted some of the deep divisions that have been brewing in America. This post-election violence, coupled with persistent racial and social inequalities—much of which were spotlighted after the killing of George Floyd—eroded America’s moral high ground and credibility in promoting democratic values abroad. Many in the Global South, who have faced international criticism for similar post-election unrest, were quick to point out the hypocrisy. This event served as a reminder that democratic challenges and civil instability are not limited to developing nations, and this is now casting a more critical view of American influence in global governance and human rights advocacy. As a result, America is increasingly being viewed as less of a beacon of democratic excellence, and the world is closely observing to see how this situation unfolds.
With the rise of digital threats like foreign interference, misinformation, and cyber surveillance affecting U.S. elections, similar concerns are now emerging in the Global South. At Thraets, we are closely monitoring these digital threat trends and observing how the U.S. addresses them, recognizing that similar tactics may be used to target elections in the Global South. We aim to anticipate and prepare for potential risks to the electoral integrity in our own democracies.
As these issues surface, widely broadcasted on mainstream media and social media which is accessible to all, countries in the Global South are increasingly scrutinizing the ideals that America has long promoted. What exactly is the democracy that America champions? Could a contentious election further erode U.S. credibility? Will it fuel greater skepticism or lessen America’s influence on global efforts toward democratic reform?
Kamala Harris or Donald Trump, the world is watching…
The rise of digital platforms has empowered independent and citizen journalism and has offered a vital space for voices that challenge power structures. However, these platforms have also become hotbeds for harassment, disinformation, and orchestrated attacks, particularly against outspoken journalists like Rana Ayyub. Rana Ayyub is an Indian journalist, author of Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Cover Up, and a columnist for The Washington Post. As a vocal critic of the current Indian government and a staunch advocate for human rights, Ayyub has been relentlessly targeted by a coordinated campaign of harassment, character assassination, and disinformation, aimed at silencing her.
An analysis of thousands of tweets and other online abuse reveals that the harassment directed at Ayyub is anything but random; rather, it appears to be a highly organized and sustained effort to discredit her. The scale is staggering, with relentless daily torrents of abusive tweets, messages, and hashtags aimed at undermining her credibility. Our random sample from this data highlights specific patterns in these attacks: nearly half of the abusive replies to her X (formerly Twitter) account are in English, while the remaining responses are in Hindi and various regional languages. This multilingual assault demonstrates the strategic coordination behind the campaign, designed to damage her reputation across diverse audiences.
An example of a threat Ayyub faces daily, including calls for violence and rape.
The harassment extends beyond verbal abuse. Manipulated images, videos, and harmful links are often employed to worsen smear campaigns against her. What’s even more concerning is the high frequency of violent threats, such as calls for rape and murder, that Ayyub encounters nearly daily.
Several coordinated tactics have been employed to harass and discredit Ayyub, highlighting the organized nature of this campaign:
Reply Spam: The investigation tracked over 6,000 tweet mentions, many of which originated from accounts dedicated to flooding Ayyub’s timeline with abusive replies. This method is intended to drown out meaningful conversation and overwhelm her with toxic content, making it difficult for her to engage or respond effectively.
Rana Ayyub regularly receives thousands of abusive replies and mentions on Twitter.
Hashtag Campaigns: Hashtags like #RanaAyyub and #GujaratLies are frequently deployed to amplify disinformation and rally online mobs to digitally stone Ayyub. These campaigns work to paint Ayyub as a foreign agent or propagandist, casting her as a threat to India’s sovereignty and fueling public outrage by appealing to nationalist sentiments. The latest wave of attacks surged after Ayyub was awarded the International Press Freedom Award, with many accounts expressing anger and intensifying the harassment in response to her international recognition.
Disinformation Spread: Ayyub has become a primary target of disinformation campaigns on social media, with false claims accusing her of spreading misinformation or acting as a foreign agent against India—tactics aimed at damaging her credibility and deflecting from her journalism. In one instance, allegations of money laundering led to harassment so severe that the UN intervened. Even then, some people criticized the UN’s stance.
In March 2022, Indian authorities barred her from boarding a flight to London, citing an investigation into alleged financial misconduct; by October, the Enforcement Directorate filed charges claiming misuse of over $324,000 (Rs 2.7 crore) in raised funds. Ayyub has denied all allegations, describing them as attempts to silence her. This weaponization of disinformation undermines her work and sets a dangerous precedent for journalists everywhere.
Coordinated Campaigns and Political Affiliations
A deeper analysis of the accounts spreading this disinformation reveals a coordinated effort, with many profiles showing strong affiliations to pro-BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) narratives. While no direct involvement from the Indian government or the BJP has been definitively established, the consistent overlap between accounts promoting disinformation and those aligned with BJP content points to a politically motivated campaign against Ayyub.
Some of the top accounts repeatedly harassing Ayyub show strong affiliations with pro-BJP narratives.
Some of the most active accounts in the harassment campaign are linked to high levels of engagement with pro-government and nationalist content, which further suggests that Ayyub’s criticism of the current regime plays a significant role in the attacks.
Government Censorship
The investigation also highlights instances where actions taken by the Indian government appear to have directly fueled surges in harassment against Rana Ayyub. One notable example occurred on June 26, 2022, when Ayyub shared a notice from X (formerly Twitter), informing her that her post regarding the Gyanvapi Mosque and the farmers’ protests had been blocked at the request of the Indian government.
A Twitter notice showing that Ayyub’s tweet was withheld following a government order.
This censorship not only suppressed her voice but also triggered a fresh wave of abuse, as trolls intensified their attacks, using the blocked content as an opportunity to malign her further highlights the intersection of government censorship and digital harassment, with state actions inadvertently or intentionally emboldening those who seek to discredit journalists like Ayyub.
This type of government censorship, combined with the growing disinformation campaigns, showcases a troubling intersection of digital violence and state control of the narrative, where journalists like Ayyub become prime targets.
Self-Censorship Due to Digital Violence
We hypothesize that the relentless wave of online abuse has taken a profound psychological toll on Rana Ayyub and that she has been forced to self-censor since 2020 as a defense mechanism. Following X’s introduction of the ‘Choose Who Can Reply’ feature, Ayyub has consistently restricted her posts to limit replies, allowing only selected users to respond. Data from our analysis reveals a marked drop in the volume of replies to her tweets, from thousands before 2021 to just hundreds afterwards. While this measure has significantly reduced the volume of abusive replies in her mentions, it has not prevented the broader disinformation campaign targeting her. The smear campaigns, false narratives, and coordinated attacks continue, circulating across various platforms and amplifying the digital violence she faces.
The dots denote how the tweet replies dropped sharply starting in 2020 as Ayyub began using Twitter’s ‘restrict replies’ feature to manage harassment.
In an attempt to protect herself, Ayyub frequently tags law enforcement agencies in her posts to bring attention to the violent threats against her life, including rape and murder. Despite these repeated pleas for intervention, law enforcement has not taken decisive action. Ayyub’s self-censorship is a stark example of how digital violence forces journalists into silence, not through formal censorship, but through the overwhelming weight of abuse. Even though she has taken steps to shield herself, the structural issues surrounding moderation and accountability on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram remain unresolved. Social media companies have been criticized for their failure to effectively moderate abuse and curb disinformation, particularly in cases involving public figures in politically sensitive environments. The absence of comprehensive safeguards allows harassment to persist unchecked, further discouraging voices that challenge powerful institutions.
Journalists Under Siege
The psychological and professional toll of targeted harassment against journalists like Rana Ayyub extends far beyond the individual. It sends a chilling message to the broader journalism community: speaking truth to power can come with life-threatening consequences. The digital space, originally envisioned as a platform for democratizing information and empowering independent voices, has instead become a battleground where journalists are systematically targeted and silenced. Ayyub’s experience highlights the urgent need for stronger protections, from governments and tech platforms, to ensure that journalists can work without the looming threat of violence or retaliation.
The harassment campaign against Rana Ayyub is emblematic of a much larger crisis facing journalists globally—particularly women and those who challenge authoritarian regimes. The tactics used against Ayyub are not isolated; they are part of a broader pattern of digital repression aimed at suppressing free speech and curbing independent journalism, especially in regions like the Global South. These methods—reply spam, disinformation, and coordinated smear campaigns—serve to intimidate and discredit journalists, while also eroding public trust in independent reporting.
This case, which is just one of many, underscores the pressing need for more robust protections for journalists operating in digital spaces. Social media platforms must step up their content moderation efforts and implement stronger accountability mechanisms to curb the spread of abuse and disinformation. Without these safeguards, the digital landscape will continue to serve as a hostile environment for those who dare to challenge powerful institutions.
The critical question that remains is whether these attacks are purely organic, fueled by online trolls and patriotic zeal, or if there is a deeper, more orchestrated effort by political entities, such as the BJP or the Indian government, to suppress dissenting voices like Ayyub’s. The overlap between pro-government content and accounts engaged in the harassment certainly raises concerns about the role of political forces in enabling or even directing such attacks. As the lines between online harassment and political influence blur, addressing this issue nationally and globally becomes increasingly important.
Research By Mable Amuron, Mercy Abiro and Richard Ngamita.
Thraets has joined the Digital Democracy Initiative(DDI), a programme aimed at safeguarding inclusive democracy and human rights in the digital age. It is delightful news to announce that as we set out on a journey to combat digital threats against the truth, democracy, and social unity in the digital age, Thraets will be joining the Advisory Board of the Digital Democracy Initiative.
In a world where technology and democracy are increasingly intersecting, the news that Thraets has joined The Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI) is nothing short of exciting and is a game-changer for the future of Digital Democracy.
Ngamita Richard, the Founder and Executive Director of Thraets will join the Advisory Board members of the Digital Democracy Initiative in a move that promises to revolutionize how we engage with governance in the digital age, bringing transparency, engagement, and digital rights to the forefront.
The Digital Democracy Initiative is a global effort funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the European Union and implemented in partnership with Access Now, CIVICUS, Digital Defenders Partnership and Global Focus.
Richard highlighted the growing threat of social media influencers being covertly utilized in influence operations and elections across the global south and how pan-Africanist activists and social media influencers, funded by authoritarian regimes as well as foreign countries, are mobilizing citizens throughout these regions.
Ngamita Richard, the Founder and Executive Director of Thraets
DDI’s goal is to support civil society around the world to continue strengthening civic space and promoting inclusive democracy in the digital age through two mutually reinforcing streams: Enable local civil society in the Global South to utilize digital technology to amplify efforts to promote inclusive democracy. (Led by CIVICUS and Global Focus) and Defend and protect civil society and inclusive democracy by promoting stronger rights-focused policies and standards on digital technologies and improved security provision for civil society. (Led by Access Now and Digital Defenders Partnership)
This opportunity serves as a starting point for Thraets to mitigate digital threats, such as synthetic media, surveillance tools, and coordinated or gendered disinformation campaigns before they can be weaponized to destabilize nations. Learn more about the Digital Democracy Initiative and the Advisory Board here.
We are thrilled to announce that @Thraets, which was incubated under the Outbox Foundation has been awarded a grant by the Africa Digital Rights Fund (ADRF), managed by CIPESA (the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa). This grant will fund our project titled “Safeguarding African Elections – Mitigating the Risk of AI-Generated Mis/Disinformation to Preserve Democracy.”
With numerous African countries, including Tunisia and Ghana, preparing for elections in 2024’s “Year of Democracy,” our project is timely and critical. It aims to counter the increasing threats posed by AI-generated disinformation campaigns that could jeopardize free and fair elections.
Our research will focus on the upcoming electoral processes in Tunisia (presidential, local and municipal elections in November 2024) and Ghana (presidential and parliamentary elections in December 2024). These countries were selected for their regional significance and the crucial role of supporting democracy in West and North Africa.
Through this initiative, we aim to:
Develop an open-source AI tracking and knowledge hub to crowdsource and monitor AI-generated content related to the elections.
Conduct red teaming activities to refine investigative methodologies and enhance AI detection tools/tutorials for identifying synthetic and manipulated media.
Train journalists and civil society organizations to detect and counter AI-generated disinformation tactics.
Advocate for platform accountability and robust content moderation policies.
In an era of advanced AI capabilities that can mislead and divide, defending the integrity of the democratic process is crucial.
By leveraging technology, building capacity, and fostering multi-stakeholder cooperation, we aim to uphold citizens’ rights to freely express themselves, access accurate information, and participate in shaping their nations’ futures.
We look forward to sharing more updates as we progress. Stay tuned!
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