THE ROLE OF WHATSAPP AUDIO MESSAGES IN SPREADING MISINFORMATION DURING THE 2025 GHANA GENERAL ELECTIONS

This study examines the role of WhatsApp audio messages in spreading misinformation during the 2025 Ghana General Elections, a critical period marking the first nationwide electoral contest where audio deepfakes and AI-generated content emerged as significant threats to information integrity. The research aimed to investigate the prevalence, characteristics, and impact of audio-based misinformation on WhatsApp during the electoral period, assess the effectiveness of fact-checking mechanisms in countering such content, and propose evidence-based interventions to mitigate future threats. Employing a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative content analysis of 142 fact-checked claims, qualitative analysis of verified audio misinformation cases, and key informant interviews with fact-checkers and media professionals, the study reveals that audio misinformation on WhatsApp constitutes a uniquely potent threat to electoral integrity. Findings indicate that 79% of electoral misinformation originated on social media platforms, with WhatsApp serving as a primary vector for AI-generated audio content targeting leading presidential candidates (Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition, 2025). The study documents how audio deepfakes exploit WhatsApp's encrypted, private, and trust-based communication architecture to bypass traditional fact-checking mechanisms and public scrutiny. Analysis of deepfake detection cases reveals significant challenges in verification, including limited AI detection tool training on Ghanaian accents, sophisticated manipulation techniques incorporating background noise, and the inherent difficulty of verifying short audio clips lacking contextual markers (Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition, 2025). The research also identifies critical gaps in public digital literacy, institutional preparedness, and regulatory frameworks. The study concludes that WhatsApp audio misinformation represents an emerging systemic threat to democratic processes in Ghana and recommends comprehensive interventions including enhanced fact-checking capacity, public education campaigns, platform accountability measures, and strengthened institutional responses. These findings contribute to understanding digital misinformation dynamics in emerging democracies and offer practical insights for safeguarding electoral integrity in an era of advancing generative AI technologies.
Keywords: WhatsApp, audio misinformation, deepfakes, Ghana elections, digital democracy, fact-checking, AI-generated content