Report Exposes WhatsApp’s Power and Perils for U.S. Latinos

A new report released Tuesday by the Digital Democracy Institute of the Americas (DDIA) reveals WhatsApp’s growing role among U.S. Latinos and how the messaging platform has become essential for staying connected, but is also a space where misinformation thrives.

The numbers reveal the scale of WhatsApp’s influence. Based on data from Pew Research, the DDIA report notes, “54% of U.S.-based Latinos reported using WhatsApp, a percentage higher than those of any other race or ethnic group in the country, and an increase of eight percentage points in relation to the information gathered in 2021.” It’s particularly important for immigrant families, offering free calls, minimal data usage, and easy group messaging.

According to the DDIA's analysis, it tracked 794,685 WhatsApp users participating in 1,487 U.S.-based public groups, a sharp increase from last year’s 48,000 users in 539 groups. These groups, often in Spanish or Portuguese, have become hubs for sharing news, organizing communities, and spreading both accurate information but also misinformation.

“Using Palver, DDIA tracked and documented (in a total of 13 public articles) the spread of over 3,200 false or misleading unique messages in 2024. This content was shared across more than 1,400 public WhatsApp groups led by Latinos in the U.S., with more than 3.4 million Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking app users,” the report notes.

The DDIA analysis about the content being shared includes the following conclusions:

• Public WhatsApp groups frequently share content that falsely links immigrants to crime and social instability, exploiting fear and reinforcing harmful stereotypes.

• During the 2024 election cycle, disinformation campaigns targeted Latino voters with false claims about undocumented immigrants voting and manipulated election results, fueling distrust in the electoral process.

• Conspiracy theories, including exaggerated claims about government control or surveillance, have gained significant traction in these groups, further spreading misinformation.

“Studying U.S.-based Latino communities on WhatsApp is vital for understanding how conversations evolve and how content can be amplified or go viral behind the walls of encryption,” the report concludes. “The tools we have for this today are, however, only capturing a tiny fraction of this universe. It is important to find ways [an investment] to broaden this scope.”

To read the full findings, visit DDIA’s site.

About the Author

Julio Ricardo Varela is the founder and interim publisher of The Latino Newsletter.

What We’re Reading

Spanish-Language Gatekeeping: A Hollywood Reporter story from over the weekend details what Selena Gomez said back to Eugenio Derbez after he criticized her for her Spanish in the movie Emilia Pérez, which earned 10 Golden Globe nominations on Monday.

“I understand where you are coming from… I’m sorry I did the best I could with the time I was given. Doesn’t take away from how much work and heart I put into this movie,” Gomez posted about Derbez’s comments.

This is the clip of what Derbez said. He has since apologized.

@elviboreo

Eugenio Derbez habla de la actuación de Selena Gómez en la película “Emilia Pérez” #eugenioderbez #selenagomez #emiliaperez #peliculas #ci... See more

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