What's Up with WhatsApp: The Widespread Use of WhatsApp in Political Campaigning in the Global South

"For many people in the Global North, it may come as a surprise that participation in large WhatsApp groups constitutes the majority of online communication for many users in South America, Africa and Southeast Asia. While WhatsApp helps politicians reach voters and constituents in areas that don't otherwise have access to the internet, it also extends the reach and primacy of Facebook (who own the platform) in the democratic process in these countries."

This Tactical Tech research examines how the digital tool WhatsApp is being deployed as a major part of the political process in countries including Brazil, Colombia, Kenya, and Malaysia. WhatsApp political messaging is reaching communities, including rural communities, where the internet is being accessed primarily by smartphones. Campaigners use it to disseminate photos, messages, and calls to action.

Tactical Tech tapped partners in the Global South for research in the "Influence Industry" to study the use of the platform WhatsApp, owned by Facebook, with an estimated 900 million users. It allows voice and video calling and messaging, and image, PDF, and location sharing for both groups and one-to-one callers, with end-to-end encryption as of 2016.

According to the study, "in the Global South, political campaigns utilise it in several ways:

• to spread legitimate information about party activities and issues
• to create a seemingly 'direct link' between politicians and voters
• to shape political dialogues
• to organise and mobilise people around a common issue
• to spread misinformation or defamatory information
• as a part of professional political marketing strategies."

Partners in the study found that WhatsApp messaging has greater impact and penetration because it appears to consumers to come from reliable or known sources. Courses in its use are available including through political marketing strategists who recommend a detailed messaging strategy that especially focuses on the gradual release of messages and the use of "supporters to create social leverage." Databases of phone numbers are necessary to mount a WhatsApp campaign.  In some cases this has resulted in "influencers" who have stored phone numbers and will sell them or "lend" them to political campaigns.

Global South internet access matters in terms of net neutrality (countries without it can slow down platforms). However, 15 Latin American countries offer zero-rated content, meaning that some is offered free of charge, resulting in 14 countries offering free access to WhatsApp or Facebook. This may limit a user's ability to use the internet to fact check messages from free apps.

Case studies include:

1. Malaysia where parties are focusing their political messaging using WhatsApp and Facebook in both urban and rural areas., including using infographics, videos, and personalised birthday messages.
2. Brazil where "WhatsApp is one of the main sources of information in the country with around 120 million users. Among these users, (10% of total users of the app) 36% read and 21% spread information they get via WhatsApp..." However, viral fake news is a problem in Brazil.

Problems surfacing from WhatsApp use by political parties include:

• "Phone-number databases and voter data that are used to spread WhatsApp campaign messages may be obtained illegally or without consent" - including at rallies and through casual conversation, from third parties, and unscrupulously through election registration databases.
• "The use of WhatsApp has implications for safety, encryption and freedom of expression.... Currently, there are several different bills and regulations being discussed around the world that try to limit or even forbid the use of encrypted or chat apps like WhatsApp..." In the face of possible suspension in some countries, WhatsApp is trying to institute features to avoid fake news.