Project description
The political impact of misinformation on encrypted messaging apps
In several developing countries, political actors use messaging apps like WhatsApp to disseminate misinformation. Encryption and pre-existing links between group members make these apps an effective tool. However, little is known about the effect of this misinformation and the mechanisms that make these apps particularly dangerous. The EU-funded POLARCHATS project evaluates the extent to which these apps constitute a preferential channel for misinformation in two large democracies, India and Brazil. POLARCHATS conducts in-depth interviews to examine how and why party actors adopt the technology, quantifies the amount of misinformation circulating on these apps, and experimentally examines the determinants of individual-level belief in misinformation, and its likely effects on polarization and conflict.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant
Host institution
28903 Getafe (Madrid)
Spain
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Beneficiaries (1)
28903 Getafe (Madrid)
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