Democracy is not only about ballot boxes, counting stations, and certified results. It is also about something far more fragile: trust. In South Africa, with the 2026 Local Government Elections scheduled for 4 November, that trust is under pressure from a uniquely modern enemy — disinformation. False stories, manipulated images, misleading headlines, and AI-generated content can spread faster than corrections, and if people cannot tell what is true, the credibility of the entire electoral process begins to crack. That is why the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has decided that protecting the truth cannot be done alone. In a…

Nicole Paley, chief executive of UK Pet Food, has a job that sounds simple on paper: represent the manufacturers who make food for Britain’s beloved dogs and cats. But in practice, she has become an archaeologist of anxiety, digging through layers of online content to understand why so many pet owners are confused, worried and often angry about the food they serve their companions. The anger rarely comes from hatred. It comes from love. People love their pets fiercely, and the internet knows exactly how to exploit that love. A single Facebook post claiming that a popular brand of kibble…