Social media, platform power and (mis)information in Zambia’s recent elections

Open-source, purpose-built digital platforms such as Ushahidi and Uchaguzi have been used to monitor a number of African elections. However, with the growing power of corporate social media platforms on the continent, Facebook and Twitter are emerging as important sources of information on election-related incidents. Based on her recent fieldwork, LSE’s Wendy Willems examines the challenges of the intensive circulation of information during the recent Zambian elections held on August 11.