…Tracking shows high-harm content drives unpublish calls; 78% of cross-platform AI content cleared to publish
By Theresa Moses
Yesterday’s tracking established the scale of AI-generated content recommended for unpublishing ahead of the 2027 elections. Today’s analysis explains why.
A review of 376 items: 292 recommended for publication and 84 recommended for unpublishing; reveals a clear relationship between assessed potential harm and analysts’ decisions.
Content rated as having high potential harm accounts for the overwhelming majority of takedown recommendations. Fully 70.23% of the items flagged for unpublishing fall into the high-harm category, compared with just 1.71% of the items cleared for publication. This material typically damages reputations, spreads confusion, and risks undermining credible electoral processes.
The pattern reverses for lower-risk content:
– Low harm: 11.90% of unpublish recommendations versus 79.45% of publish recommendations
– Moderate harm: 17.85% of unpublish recommendations versus 18.83% of publish recommendations
Analysts also advise removal of a portion of moderate-harm content because of its capacity to mislead when amplified at scale.
A second tracker examining cross-platform spread (n=305) shows where the risk is materialising. Of the AI-generated content observed circulating across multiple social media platforms in recent weeks, 21.96% has been recommended for unpublishing because of its negative impact, while 78.03% has been cleared for publication.
The data confirm that harmful AI content is not confined to a single platform. It is moving across platforms, increasing its potential to damage reputations and confuse voters.
The public is advised to treat synthetic images, text, audio and video with caution in the run-up to the elections. Every forwarded message, image or clip should be examined critically before it is shared.
Data source: Social media, 2026.
TrackingNaija2027Elections, a collaborative initiative by CEREDEMS-AFRICA, the University of Ilorin, and the RUDN University Institute of Geopolitical Communications. The project monitors electoral integrity and emerging risks ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
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