organizations focused on six main solutions, listed here in order of importance: 1. Fact-checking platforms must be developed, and more work needs to be done to develop and support fact checking in the region. 2. Technology and AI must be used in combating the spread of fake news. 3. Media and digital literacy must be included in the curriculum in schools and universities. 4. Local communities must be targeted through awareness and education programs. 5. More government efforts on the ground and at all levels are required. 6. Legislation must be drafted and enacted to combat fake news and/or strengthen the legal framework in this field. 4.4 CASE STUDIES: EIGHT FACT-CHECKING PLATFORMS IN THE REGION We conducted interviews with representatives of eight platforms from seven countries: Kashif, from Palestine; Tech 4 Peace, from Iraq; Sidq, from Yemen; Verify, from Syria; Falso, from Libya; Tahaqaq, from Morocco; Akhbar Meter, from Egypt; and Saheeh Masr, also from Egypt. The interviews focused on these platforms’ objectives, approaches, challenges, and development needs. KASHIF Kashif, the Palestinian Observatory for Verification and Media Education, is one of two fact-checking platforms in Palestine. It works through a small volunteer team to verify information and detect violations. The founder and director of Kashif, journalist Bakir Abdel-Haq, asserted that the observatory’s work and performance developed very quickly, and that its methodology is developing constantly. He added that it greater support is needed so that they can implement all the ideas they have (interview, July 2021). Abdel-Haq mentioned the limitations they face in accessing a wide audience: “This is actually due to Facebook’s policies, as it limits the reach of our posts related to Palestinian content.”2 Besides the lack of funding, the main challenges facing Kashif include the non-recognition of the right to access information in Palestine and the fact that government agencies do not cooperate with the organization. Table 2: Overview of the operations of Kashif, the Palestinian Observatory for Verification and Media Education KASHIF Country Palestine Established 2020 Website http://kashif.ps/ Reach Local, regional, and global, with a focus on Palestine Languages Arabic Purpose To combat disinformation in the Palestinian media To ensure that media outlets and social media platforms adhere to publishing ethics To spread a culture of verification in Palestine and encourage the critical reading of content Methodology Kashif strives to adhere to principles of accuracy, transparency, independence, fairness, and cooperation. It categorizes checked content based on the following categories: • Content that has been manipulated • Content that draws erroneous connections between events or contexts • Wrong context • Fabricated content • Plagiarized content • Misleading content • Satirical content. It does not have a correction policy. Nature of work Fact checking, combating hate speech, reports on violations in published content, enhancing media literacy, and conducting workshops on verifying information Social media presence (as of January 2022) Facebook: more than 49,000 followers (https://www.facebook.com/PalKashif) Twitter: more than 200 followers (https://twitter.com/Pal_kashif) I N FO R M ATI O N D I SO R D ER IN THE GLOBA L SOUTH Middle East and North Africa – 3 4