A new report outlines how messaging platforms can be used for political propaganda and “information calculated to manipulate public opinion.”
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Popular messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram are increasingly being used for political purposes, including the spread of political propaganda, experts say in a new report.
Researchers at New York University (NYU) surveyed 4,500 messaging app users in nine countries to find out how bad actors use platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram to manipulate public opinion. , interviewed political strategists from 17 countries.
According to the report, 62% of users surveyed have received political content on these apps, and of those who have received political content, 55% of the information came from people they didn’t know. Ta.
That’s because platforms like WhatsApp, Viber, and Telegram “lack many of the traditional mechanisms” of content moderation that other social media platforms have, and have monetization features that amplify misinformation. The report continues.
“Some messaging apps claim to be platforms designed for secure and private communication with loved ones, yet monetize their products through features that allow them to reach large scale and spread their messages. ”
Paid features spread misinformation to viewers
The report found that political operatives are using the paid features of these messaging apps to access more people.
WhatsApp’s business platform offers subscribers a “green check” of authentication, automated messaging and unlimited customer reach to amplify content, the report said.
According to the app’s FAQ section, there will also be an opt-in feature for WhatsApp users to decide whether they want to receive messages from paid companies.
WhatsApp’s messaging policy says government agencies are allowed to use the platform, but political parties, politicians and political movements are not. They also told researchers they were deploying “additional resources” during elections to ensure their policies were not violated.
However, the report said some users have developed a workaround by impersonating the attacker or creating a fake business name to authenticate with X and use it as evidence for WhatsApp Business services. points out.
According to the app’s website, Viber works similarly, allowing users to opt out and stop receiving messages.
The report found a workaround for this in Ukraine, where political consultants obtain verified Viber accounts through a messaging “partner” or vendor.
The Ukrainian attackers then launched a social media campaign using QR codes to ask users to sign up to a mailing list, allowing people to unknowingly choose to receive communications from their group. , the report continues.
Telegram allows any user to enjoy many additional features such as automated messages, quick replies, profile badges, and chatbot support for less than 5 euros per month.
This allows political operatives to pass as “official” accounts on Telegram without the need for verification, the New York University report found.
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Telegram now allows anyone to buy ad space on channels with a large number of subscribers, and the app says it generates about 1 trillion views each month.
In a statement sent to Euronews Next, Rakuten, Viber’s parent company, said its policies and features are designed to “help people make informed decisions about what content to trust and engage with” on the app. It’s helpful.”
“We will continue to develop our app and enforce our policies with our users in mind,” their statement reads.
Euronews Next contacted WhatsApp operators Meta and Telegram for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
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Platforms also amplify disinformation
The paid features of these messaging apps amplify long-standing disinformation techniques, the report said.
The first step to getting your message out there is to create or infiltrate existing groups on your social media channels. Viber has no limits on the number of participants in communities or channels, so it has a “direct impact” on Viber’s strategy. said the report.
Even if an infiltrated group is considered apolitical, propagandists “exploit members’ stated interests to craft political messages that are likely to resonate,” the report said.
Members of the group may in some cases be “sock puppet” accounts, fake profiles created by malicious actors to represent individuals or companies with “particular viewpoints,” the report said. states.
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While this is a common disinformation tactic on social media, sockpuppet accounts are “arguably more problematic” because they are “more obscure” on messaging apps.
Propaganda activists can also cross-post, posting the same message to multiple social media channels at the same time.
For example, on Telegram, users create bots that automate the sharing of content to X. Another Indian app called ShareChat allows users to cross-post Telegram content to WhatsApp and other meta-owned platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
All these tactics combined form what researchers call a “feedback loop,” where the same content continues to “appear in different parts of the platform ecosystem,” the report found.
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Recommendations for messaging apps
The researchers said one challenge with these apps is that while encryption can be used for concealment by propagandists, it is valuable to activists who are “at risk of surveillance.” There is.
With this in mind, the authors offer a long list of recommendations for messaging app companies, including implementing account creation limits and increasing scrutiny of business accounts.
The report recommends that policymakers include encrypted messaging platforms in existing regulations, but does not weaken them.
“The value of encrypted messaging to human rights defenders and society far exceeds the threat of disinformation on encrypted chat apps,” the report says.
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One way to do that is to force companies to disclose content-neutral information about how their policies and enforcement systems are working to combat disinformation.
