The Real411 is a platform developed and maintained by Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) and provided at no cost as a service to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) and the nation during the election period to support the IEC’s digital disinformation complaints process.

Disinformation is false, inaccurate or misleading information designed, presented and promoted online to intentionally cause public harm. Harm in this regard includes, but is not limited to, disrupting or preventing an election, creating hostility or fear in order to influence the conduct or outcome of an election, or unduly influencing the outcome of conduct of an election. As such, disinformation around elections is a global challenge. The Real411 and the Digital Disinformation Complaints process is a world first initiative to combat digital disinformation during elections.

The Digital Disinformation Complaints process is an IEC process attached to its Directorate for Electoral Offences. The Electoral Commissioners are also solely responsible for making the final assessment, ruling and determination of actions, if any, to be taken based on complaints made.

Digital Disinformation and the Electoral Code

Digital disinformation is false, inaccurate, or misleading information designed, presented and promoted to intentionally cause public harm. Harm in this regard includes, but is not limited to, disrupting or preventing an election, creating hostility or fear in order to influence the conduct or outcome of an election, or unduly influencing the outcome of conduct of an election.

Section 89 (2) of the Electoral Act of 1998:
"No person may publish any false information with the intention of-
(a) disrupting or preventing an election;
(b) creating hostility or fear in order to influence the conduct or outcome of an election; or
(c) influencing the outcome or conduct of an election.”