The Policy Brief draws on the Commission’s broader work on human rights in the digital environment, its investigations and institutional experience, research and stakeholder engagements, regional and international developments, and the Commission’s 2025 Summit on Human Rights and Disinformation. The Summit convened government, Chapter Nine institutions, National Human Rights Institutions, civil society, academia, journalists, fact-checkers and technology specialists to examine the growing impact of information disorder on human rights.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Media Statement: SAHRC Calls for Coordinated, Rights-Centred Action to Protect Information Integrity in South Africa
Attention Editors and Reporters
Wednesday, 19 August 2026
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC/ the Commission) has published its Policy Brief on Information Integrity and Human Rights, which outlines a rights-centred approach to disinformation, platform accountability, and democratic resilience in South Africa.
The Commission’s central finding is that disinformation can no longer be treated merely as a communications or social-media problem. When false or manipulated information contributes to violence, discrimination, public-health risks, electoral disruption, attacks on vulnerable communities or the erosion of trust in democratic institutions, it becomes a human rights concern. At the same time, the Commission cautions that measures intended to counter disinformation must themselves comply with human rights standards. Freedom of expression remains fundamental, and responses must be lawful, necessary, proportionate and designed to avoid censorship or the suppression of legitimate dissent.
Key findings
The Commission finds that South Africa already has a range of laws, institutions and initiatives relevant to information integrity. The difficulty lies principally in fragmentation and proportionality.
Existing criminal, electoral, privacy, equality and regulatory frameworks operate across different institutions, with limited coordination when harmful information spreads rapidly across platforms and sectors. At the same time, responses often focus on individual speakers while placing comparatively limited obligations on the digital platforms whose recommender systems, algorithms and commercial models may amplify harmful content at scale.
The Policy Brief further recognises that information harms are not experienced equally. Women, migrants, and non-nationals, LGBTQIA+ persons, children, journalists, civil-society actors and other vulnerable communities may be disproportionately affected.
Five priority recommendations
The Commission recommends:
1. Stronger systemic platform accountability, including transparency reporting, human rights risk assessments, researcher access to relevant platform data, and greater transparency of algorithms, recommender systems and synthetic media.
2. A coordinated early-warning and rapid-response mechanism for periods of heightened risk, including elections, public health emergencies, xenophobic mobilisation, gender-based attacks and public unrest.
3. A targeted review of existing laws and regulatory frameworks to identify gaps, overlaps and risks of overreach, while safeguarding freedom of expression, privacy, equality and access to information.
4. Greater support for independent and public-interest media, including community media, fact-checking and access to reliable information in indigenous and underserved languages.
5. Sustained investment in media, information and digital literacy, including school-based, public-sector and community-level programmes.
These recommendations reflect the need to move beyond responses focused solely on individual pieces of harmful content and towards greater accountability for the systems, incentives, and structures through which information is created, amplified, and distributed. This approach aligns with emerging international principles that emphasise transparency, public empowerment, healthy information ecosystems, and the protection of independent media.
Next Steps
The SAHRC will engage Parliament, the Executive, regulators, relevant public institutions, civil society, researchers and technology platforms on the recommendations and their practical implementation. The Commission will also continue exploring mechanisms for platform transparency and accountability, coordinated early warning, stronger public education and appropriate monitoring of information-related human rights risks. Given the cross-border nature of digital platforms and information flows, the SAHRC will continue to work with other National Human Rights Institutions and regional and international partners to advance rights-centred approaches to information integrity.
The Commission’s position is straightforward: protecting information integrity does not require choosing between freedom of expression and accountability. South Africa must protect both.
Click here to access the summit report and the policy brief.
ENDS
Issued by the South African Human Rights Commission
About us
Understanding PAIA
The Human Rights Commission is the national institution established to support constitutional democracy. It is committed to promote respect for, observance of and protection of human rights for everyone without fear or favour.
Sentinel House, Sunnyside Office Park, 32 Princess of Wales Terrace, Parktown, Johannesburg, South Africa
011 877 3600 (Switchboard)