Government stresses integrity in the information chain in the digital age
DAR ES SALAAM: THE government has stressed the importance of maintaining integrity, accuracy and truthfulness throughout the information chain, particularly at a time when digital technology has accelerated access to and dissemination of information.
Speaking today in Dar es Salaam during the commemoration of the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI), on behalf of the Director General of the Tanzania Information Services Department (MAELEZO), Evordy Kyando, the Department’s Assistant Director for Registration, said the Government recognises the importance of platforms that bring together media stakeholders to assess themselves and listen to views on how it is fulfilling its responsibility to ensure that citizens receive accurate, timely and verifiable information.
Kyando said the current digital environment has brought challenges because information can be shared easily and rapidly through the internet, social media, smartphones and new technologies, including artificial intelligence. This situation can contribute to the spread of false information and affect citizens’ decisions.
He added that access to information is a fundamental right under Article 18 of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania, while the government continues to establish systems and improve laws governing access to information.
He further said the fight against misinformation and malinformation cannot be left to the government alone, but requires the cooperation of journalists and all stakeholders involved in freedom of information.
He stressed the importance of every stakeholder verifying information before using or disseminating it, adding that the government is ready to listen to assessments and participate in discussions on how laws governing access to information, media services and other relevant legislation are being implemented.
For his part, the Secretary General of the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) and Chairperson of the Coalition on the Right to Information (CoRI), Ernest Sungura, said access to information alone is not enough in the digital age; citizens also need information that is timely, accurate and trustworthy.
He said the current environment is saturated with false and misleading information, edited photographs and videos, as well as content generated using artificial intelligence, making it difficult to distinguish genuine information from fabricated content. Sungura said there is a direct relationship between access to information and information integrity.
