Haiti Elections: Urgent Need to Regulate Online Disinformation

In a significant oversight, Haiti’s draft 2025 Electoral Decree currently lacks provisions to regulate online disinformation, digital political campaigns, and cyberbullying of candidates, according to Jean Marie Altéma, a Digital Strategy and Governance Specialist and former Director General of CONATEL.

The electoral framework, still under consultation, fails to address the growing influence of social media platforms on Haiti’s democratic processes, despite the country having 2.65 million active social media users—representing 22.4% of the total population and 35.4% of adult Haitians.

With Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, and TikTok becoming crucial spaces for political mobilization, this regulatory gap creates substantial vulnerabilities in Haiti’s already fragile electoral system, Altéma warns.

The digital expert identifies four primary threats stemming from this regulatory vacuum. First, public opinion manipulation through rumors, deepfakes, and automated messaging systems could significantly influence voter decisions. The integration of artificial intelligence technology amplifies this risk by enabling highly convincing, personalized misinformation campaigns that prove extremely difficult to detect and counter.

Second, the absence of transparency requirements for digital political advertising creates opportunities for undeclared campaign financing and potential foreign interference in Haiti’s electoral process—a particularly sensitive issue given the country’s history of international involvement in domestic affairs.

Third, online harassment and cyberbullying disproportionately target certain candidates, especially women, creating barriers to democratic participation and potentially excluding qualified individuals from the political process.

Finally, the lack of verification mechanisms and enforcement protocols undermines public trust in the electoral system, potentially leading to voter disengagement and post-election instability—outcomes Haiti can ill afford given its recent political turbulence.

Haiti’s social media penetration rate, while lower than in many countries, represents a significant portion of the voting population. As digital platforms continue to expand their reach throughout the Caribbean nation, the importance of regulating online electoral communications will only increase.

Altéma proposes several concrete solutions to address these challenges. He recommends integrating a clear framework into the Electoral Decree specifically addressing digital communications and misinformation. This framework would mandate transparency for sponsored political content, requiring disclosure of the sponsor’s identity, the amount paid, and targeting parameters.

Additionally, he calls for proportionate penalties for deliberate dissemination of false information during the electoral period, creating consequences for those who attempt to manipulate voters through digital channels.

The expert also advocates for creating a National Digital Electoral Monitoring Unit with capabilities to rapidly detect disinformation campaigns and coordinate appropriate responses. This recommendation aligns with similar approaches implemented in other countries facing digital electoral challenges.

“The upcoming elections in Haiti will be decided, in part, on screens,” Altéma emphasized. “Failing to regulate the digital space is tantamount to leaving democracy unprotected.”

Electoral integrity concerns are particularly relevant for Haiti, which has experienced repeated electoral delays and challenges. The country’s Transitional Presidential Council is attempting to establish a path toward democratic governance following years of political instability, assassinations, and natural disasters.

Altéma’s warning comes at a critical juncture for Haitian democracy, as the nation prepares for elections that many hope will restore constitutional governance. He has urged electoral authorities, government officials, media organizations, civil society groups, and international partners to mobilize quickly to adopt measures protecting electoral integrity and democratic peace.

As Haiti moves toward these consequential elections, how authorities respond to these digital challenges may significantly impact both the process and outcomes of the nation’s democratic transition.