Phumzile Van Damme Profile picture
Sep 25, 2020 8 tweets 2 min read Read on X
“Some of America's most experienced foreign policy leaders are sounding the alarm about disinformation. From disinformation, from a few fabricated facts to full-scale propaganda campaigns, it has gotten serious.”
“The power of disinformation has spread so fast and so far, that in only a few short years it now infects almost every aspect of our lives... We can't keep treating it as a distant danger. Disinformation now needs to be treated like other top global risks.”
“So, what does it mean for a company to take a strong stand against disinformation? First, it's about recognizing that the problem has become bigger than your brand.”
“Companies need to invest in marketing campaigns that do more than sell a product or service, they help inform the public. Include more educational elements into your advertising.”
“And it's about more than the marketing budget. Companies have a substantial self-interest in creating more tools and technology to track disinformation. They will be one of the major beneficiaries of making content more credible.”

businessinsider.com/us-foreign-pol…
I feel a little like those people who raise alarm about a looming danger no one take seriously. Disinfo is one of the biggest threats to democracy globally. LGE2021 is going to be rough. Disinfo tactics have changed. Most get this info on social media. 99% in SA have smartphones
But y’know, I’ll do my bit ✌🏾 You cannot deal with disinfo with a letter to the editor, a rebuttal or ad, Disinfo tactics are much more covert, sinister & sophisticated. Measures must be in place to prevent possibly irreparable damage to your brand be it public or private.
The internet matters. What is said on the internet about you or your brand matters. If it is disinformation it may stick. People are more likely to believe negative over positive information. Have a Good Friday y’all. Sorry for the making it so bleak with this info. 😬❤️😘

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More from @zilevandamme

Jul 24
I’m on a road trip and I’m trying not to fall asleep. I’m obvs a passenger.

Time for a ridiculously long thread again. This time we’re talking definitions of social media manipulation tactics often use by parties, companies, foreign influence ops etc.

A 🧵🪡
1. As a start, this is a constantly evolving field, and the terminology changes because tactics change. Sometimes, there isn’t agreement on definitions. For example, fun fact: there is no real agreement in academia on what AI is and should be. But we move.
2. Disinformation: false information that is deliberately created or disseminated with the express purpose to cause harm. Producers of disinformation typically have political, financial, psychological or social motivations.
Read 17 tweets
Jun 23
Let me let you into a secret. I probably shouldn’t because it’ll result in them toning this behaviour down. But, I think the abject lack of self-awareness will not make this happen for some. I’m throwing caution into the wind. Also, nice people don’t gatekeep.

You can tell a lot about the DA is thinking from various accounts. It is 99.9% correct. Also, I suppose I can discern this because I know all these people and their psychology very well.

- Gareth van Onselen is its inclination to assume everyone is stupid. That confidence as competence. That mediocre. That insecure. He gives a lot of insight into where that aspect of its personality is at - the petulant toddler
- Ryan Coetzee is cool, rational and EQ. Measured, smart, cautious, strategic. He’s the adult. He makes the most sense. He is not irksome.
- Leon Schreiber is John’s mind and the latest DA spin on the newest topic on which it has shot its foot.
- John is smart enough not to run his account. Listen to his interviews
- Helen’s actions are so predictable. She's a combination of the other three.
Exhibit A. The ANC is stupid. Image
Exhibit B. Cool, calm, no gloating. Image
Read 6 tweets
Jun 22
The coalition agreement between the DA, ANC, and IFP may not meet constitutional muster, I argue. Regardless of whether it has been agreed upon, it is null & void. It contains provisions that skirt too close to the violation of the party/state division.

A thread. 🧵🪡
1. To start, it is an exciting time. Finally, the ANC can be held accountable. Wonderful, but does that process meet constitutional muster? Is the process legal? I am afraid that it is not, in my humble opinion.
2. The agreement reads like its sole focus is on the appointment of Ministers. Vague requirements are included of alignment with the founding values of the Constitution. That is all well and good. It also commits alignment to the Bill of Rights. Lovely.
Read 29 tweets
Jun 7
STOP posting photos of your kids online. Man arrives at kindergarten, says he’s 3 year old girl’s Dad. Her real parents arrive. At interrogation he reveals that he had found her photo online, needed to have her, found her school, looked for an open day & planned to kidnap her.
If you think this will never happen to you, please jolt your system into shock by watching this.

Start here if you don’t have time to watch the whole video. Image
Read 7 tweets
May 31
I don’t know what the takeaways from this election are, but so far it’s:

-CR: probably best to resign. The ANC’s performance was dismal. I don’t think he is an awful person. He means well. I like him. But to spare SA what could be months of ANC warfare. When elephants fight…
-Zuma: My Lord. 🙆🏾‍♀️ I don’t think democratic South Africa has or will see anytime soon this incisive, masterful & diabolical a strategist. His career ended on a very sour note. Through this MK effort, he has added an epilogue to his story of a Phoenix rising from the ashes.
Steenhuisen: Image
Read 11 tweets
May 27
The final instalment. Only the top 3, I’m afraid, these take a lot of time. 🥲

I don’t think this analysis is interesting, however I hope it will foster deeper understanding about why ANC voters continue to vote ANC.

Election 2024: The ANC and the Politics of Loyalty.

A 🧵🪡
1. We all know the ANC’s dismal record, including the party itself and its voters. The question of why the ANC continues to lead the country despite this knowledge is intriguing. The answer, in a single word: LOYALTY.
2. “ANC voters are stupid.” This grates me to no end. It’s a paternalistic view devoid of any attempt at understanding the complex dynamics that make the ANC supporter loyal.
Read 29 tweets

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