WhatsApp misinformation, also referred to by the umbrella term "fake news", includes the manipulation of information and the circulation of deliberately misleading or false information in a wide range of contexts from health and wellbeing to politics. WhatsApp security includes scams which facilitate the hacking of an individual's private WhatsApp information through the exploitation of vulnerabilities within WhatsApp's controls and processes.

Misinformation "fake news" circulated through WhatsApp is responsive to daily political and social events and consists of the following types which may result in serious negative societal impacts.

Types of misinformation

• Overwhelming content: 
  • Provokes users into affective states (e.g. shock, awe, disgust) that disrupts daily life.
  • Promotes attraction to more outrageous stories.
  • Undermines trust in mainstream media and promotes the idea that WhatsApp alone provides real news.
• Misinformation against social cohesion:
  • A feeling of militant nationalism that does not allow debate.
  • A feeling of false victimhood.
  • Physical violence against discriminated groups.
  • Bullying and intimidation of anyone who dares to question the status quo.
• Religious bigotry:
  • Provides grandiose illusions about moral and historical superiority of one religion over others.
  • Provides a religious mode of explaining aspects of daily life.
  • Reinforces ones own religious community.
  • Creates anger and disgust.
• Gender misinformation:
  • Intimidation and self-censorship.
  • Fear of using technology.
  • Policing of technology use by family.
  • Blackmail and violence.
  • Depression and withdrawal. 
• Miscellaneous:
  • Spam asking for money and various other content.
  • Provides everyday flow of content that is comforting and entertaining.
  • Encourages users to indulge in uncritical forwarding of messages without checking the content.

What can I do?

You can protect yourself from spreading or being deceived by misinformation you receive on WhatsApp by applying the below guidelines.

General Advice

Be vigilant when you receive any news via WhatsApp:

• Check whether the dubious message was forwaded from someone other than the sender.
• Examine the source of the dubious info ro check if the info was obtained from a reliable source.
• If you're unsure who wrote the original message, cross check the dubious info with external sources. (e.g., news, TV, radio)

 

Be pro active in preventing the further receipt and spread of fake news via WhatsApp:

• Be a myth buster. Do not share false information without verifying first. If the dubious message is confirmed to be false, inform the sender of the message that the news is false.
• Take pre-emptive action to stop receiving fake news such as leaving or reporting a WhatsApp group that constantly shares fake news or blocking any contact that continuously perpetuates fake news. 

Be discerning in checking the content of the shared message:

• Check the writing style of the news. it may not be well-structured or is grammatically incorrect.
• Check the level of details in the message. If it contains inconsistent details of incidents or contains a URL that is incorrect, then it is more likely to be false. 
• Check wether the info confirms your biases or appeals to your emotions. Information that is too good to be true is often false.