Hidden Virality and the Everyday Burden of Correcting WhatsApp Mis- and Disinformation

Paris, Britt ; Pasquetto, Irene

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/117215 Copy

Description

Title

Hidden Virality and the Everyday Burden of Correcting WhatsApp Mis- and Disinformation

Author(s)

• Paris, Britt
• Pasquetto, Irene

Issue Date

2024

Keyword(s)

• Misinformation
• Disinformation
• Corrections
• Burden
• Hidden virality
• Whatsapp

Geographic Coverage

India

Abstract

The spread of false and misleading information, hate speech, and harassment on WhatsApp (WA) has generated concern about elections, been implicated in ethnic violence, and linked to other disastrous events across the globe. On WA, we see the activation of what is known as the phenomenon of Hidden Virality, which characterizes how unvetted, insular discourse on encrypted, private platforms takes on a character of truth and remains mostly unnoticed until causing real-world harm. In this book chapter, we discuss what factors contribute to the activation of Hidden Virality on WA while answering the following questions: 1) To what extent and how WA’s sociotechnical affordances encourage the sharing of mis- and disinformation on the platform, and 2) How do WA’s users perceive and deal with mis- and disinformation on a daily basis? We close the chapter by situating our discussion in relation to cultural and economic power dynamics. Widespread accessibility and encryption promote market advantages for mobile instant messaging platform companies and exonerate them from accountability for serious fallout, while the burden of moderating content falls on minoritized users.

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Series/Report Name or Number

Cambridge Studies on Governing Knowledge Commons

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

Sponsor(s)/Grant Number(s)

• NSF: SES
• Divn Of Social and Economic Sciences
• #2017495

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