Social media and mis/disinformation in electoral context in the DRC
"This paper aimed to address some of the gaps in knowledge about the nature of mis/disinformation and hate speech in WhatsApp groups, as well as the mechanisms through which those messages are identified, perceived, and relayed by users. Through quantitative and qualitative study of activities in 155 WhatsApp groups ahead of the elections, the research identified the following main dynamics:
- As elections approached, the sharing of mis/disinformation increased in the selected WhatsApp groups, especially in urban areas. This trend coincided with an increase in hate speech in Haut Katanga and North Kivu, where electoral campaigns fueled existing tensions and insecurities around identify politics in particular.
- While users are keenly aware of the wide spread of false and manipulated media content, and the importance of verifying information, they do not systematically do so. In addition, the line between political opinion, humorous posts and mis/disinformation is thin and users may find it hard to identify the information which needs checking. Nevertheless, some users reported deliberately sharing false or harmful information in online communities. Their behavior was driven, in part, by the desire to provoke reactions or entertain. They also used WhatsApp groups as a tool to verify information, thus purposely sharing unverified or misleading news in order for others to confirm or refute it.
- Users are often highly proactive in bringing attention to mis/disinformation circulating in the groups, and frequently share links or witness sources to correct false or inaccurate news. However, they are less comfortable with confronting authors of hate speech, preferring to remain silent or exit the groups." (Conclusion, pages 54-55)
- As elections approached, the sharing of mis/disinformation increased in the selected WhatsApp groups, especially in urban areas. This trend coincided with an increase in hate speech in Haut Katanga and North Kivu, where electoral campaigns fueled existing tensions and insecurities around identify politics in particular.
- While users are keenly aware of the wide spread of false and manipulated media content, and the importance of verifying information, they do not systematically do so. In addition, the line between political opinion, humorous posts and mis/disinformation is thin and users may find it hard to identify the information which needs checking. Nevertheless, some users reported deliberately sharing false or harmful information in online communities. Their behavior was driven, in part, by the desire to provoke reactions or entertain. They also used WhatsApp groups as a tool to verify information, thus purposely sharing unverified or misleading news in order for others to confirm or refute it.
- Users are often highly proactive in bringing attention to mis/disinformation circulating in the groups, and frequently share links or witness sources to correct false or inaccurate news. However, they are less comfortable with confronting authors of hate speech, preferring to remain silent or exit the groups." (Conclusion, pages 54-55)
"While this research sheds light on WhatsApp group members’ practices relating to information sharing, it also acknowledges its limitations. The study was conducted in a non-statistically representative sample and was not able to clearly ascertain the precise extent to which users deliberately shared false information. Further research would be required to explore the motivations driving the creation and sharing of false and harmful information online, as well as the extent to which users rely on it to shape their electoral preferences and behaviors." (Page 55)
