The increasing prevalence of digital threats to democracy—both globally and in SSA—aligns with the global trend of democratic backsliding observed in recent years. Understanding and tracking digital threats to democracy and democratic backsliding is increasingly critical to efforts that promote positive digital development and digital democracy. Social media analytics (SMA) is an important emerging tool that can help USAID identify and develop strategies to mitigate specific instances of digital threats to democracy in its partner countries. SMA leverages social media data to provide valuable insights into the spread and impacts of digital threats to democracy—especially social manipulation and disinformation—and enable the informed development of effective mitigation strategies. In this way, SMA plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the integrity of the digital ecosystem.

The Conflict, Peacebuilding and Governance Division in the USAID Africa Bureau (AFR/SD/CPG) commissioned this report to provide USAID a practical guide for incorporating SMA into USAID Missions’ operations and project, activity, and intervention design. SMA, which may be daunting to the uninitiated, remains essential for understanding and countering digital threats to democracy, in particular the threat of disinformation.