South Africa is facing a surge of online disinformation following a historic election, hindering coalition talks. The African National Congress (ANC) party lost its majority voting base for the first time since the end of apartheid rule. Digital activists are struggling with limited platform access and high costs to monitor disinformation. Leading digital rights organizations are calling for open data access from platforms like Google, Meta, and TikTok to ensure election integrity and counter harmful content. A dozen digital rights and research groups have signed a statement urging social platform companies to allow open access to their data. Access to platform APIs would enable real-time collection of data to tackle disinformation and hate speech. Data access in the Global South is more challenging compared to the Global North due to European laws, high costs, and limited partnerships. Digital researchers are demanding equal access to data and platforms. The root of mis- and disinformation lies in widespread voter alienation and should be addressed alongside the broader social fight against inequality. Digital activists are using the law to demand more information from social media giants. The Campaign for Free Expression (CFE) has issued access to information notices to platforms, demanding detailed documentation on guarding against disinformation. The platforms claim they are not covered by local laws and the data is not in the country. Digital researchers are seeking dignity and equality in data access, similar to their counterparts in the Global North. [375e7e74]