WhatsApp in India During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Characterising the Spread of COVID-19 Misinformation Through WhatsApp in India

Digital misinformation has been flagged as a major risk of the 21st century, with an estimated cost of $78 billion to the global economy each year. Given this scope, we propose to characterize how misinformation is spread via messenger platforms (e.g. WhatsApp).

Specifically, we seek to:

1. Identify metrics of potential misinformation (Aim 1). This is based on the hypothesis that although message contents are highly private, proxy markers can be used to identify potential misinformation.
2. Understand the base-rate by which misinformation is shared via messaging applications (Aim 2). This is founded on the hypothesis that misinformation is endemic on messaging platforms, and thus needs to be documented.
3. Identify "super spreaders" responsible for sending and receiving a large volume of misinformation (Aim 3). Here, we hypothesise that a small group of super spreaders are responsible for the bulk of misinformation-sharing on messaging applications.

The thrust of this work aligns with both government priorities and the grant's thematic areas, providing actionable findings that are timely amidst a worldwide surge of misinformation.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Lived in India for more than 2 years,
• Currently Living in India
• Owns a WhatsApp account

Exclusion Criteria:

• Not currently living in India
• Below the ages of 21
• Has not lived in India for more than 2 years
• does not own a WhatsApp account
• Does not speak English or Hindi