Morocco’s Haute Autorité de la Communication Audiovisuelle (HACA) has published a new study examining the role of social networks in political communication, focusing on the gap between their potential to influence public debate and the risks posed by disinformation.
The publication comes shortly after Morocco’s legislative elections on 23 September, during which HACA monitored broadcast media under the country’s electoral media rules.
For broadcasters and media regulators, the timing of the study is significant. HACA’s statutory mandate primarily covers licensed radio and television services, while social media platforms fall outside the traditional licensing framework overseen by the audiovisual regulator.
By publishing research focused on social networks immediately following an election cycle, HACA is contributing to a wider regulatory discussion around how political communication is evolving beyond conventional broadcast media.
The study is particularly relevant as audiences increasingly consume political information across a mix of television, radio, social networks and digital platforms. For regulators, this creates a growing challenge: influence and information flows increasingly extend beyond the services traditionally subject to audiovisual regulation.
Across Africa, regulators are increasingly examining the relationship between broadcasting, digital platforms, political communication and disinformation. Research publications such as HACA’s latest study can therefore provide an evidence base for broader discussions about the future scope of media oversight.
Importantly, the publication is a research study rather than a regulatory decision. No decision number is attached to the report, while HACA’s decisions register lists CSCA Decision No. 62-26, dated 18 September, as its most recent ruling.
The study nevertheless highlights an increasingly important issue for Africa’s media sector: how regulatory frameworks designed around traditional broadcasting will respond as political communication, audience influence and disinformation increasingly move across platform boundaries.
