WhatsApp and Telegram Watch
Misinformation, propaganda, hyper-partisan narratives, and inauthentic behavior are increasingly circulating in public WhatsApp and Telegram groups used by Latino communities across the U.S. and Latin America. These messaging platforms have become powerful channels for amplifying unverified and harmful content.
All insights presented here are drawn from REDESCover, DDIA’s weekly newsletter that monitors online harms targeting Latino communities across social media and messaging platforms. While REDESCover also covers public platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok, this section focuses specifically on what is being shared in Whatsapp and Telegram.
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Highlights from Past REDESCover Editions:
Topline: Corruption scandals tied to Cristina Kirchner and Spain’s Socialist Party sparked heated debate
Read the complete edition here.
Topline: Latino Voices Surge Online Against ICE Raids in California
Latino Messaging Apps Erupt with Calls for Migrant Support
Read the complete edition here.
Topline: Musk’s Black Eye Fuels Conspiracy Theory on Spanish-Speaking Telegram
Read the complete edition here.
Topline: In Messaging Apps, Spanish-Language Conversations About Harvard Surpassed Immigration
Read the complete edition here.
Topline: From Praise to Hate: How Spanish-Speakers Reacted to Mujica’s Death on Different Platforms
Read the complete edition here.
Topline: Venezuelan Opposition’s Daring Embassy Escape Goes Viral in U.S. Latino Chats
Read the complete edition here.
May 9, 2025 - Edition 51 (Special Edition)
Topline: Latinos React to Pope Leo XIV with Open Arms and a Desire for Connection
Read the complete edition here.
Topline: Latino Reactions to the Papal Transition: From Devotion to Disinformation
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Topline: Spanish-Speaking Apps Reflect Polarized – but Mostly Critical – Views of Trump’s First 100 Days
Read the complete edition here.
Topline: From Conspiracy to Compassion: Spanish-Speaking WhatsApp Users Reflect on the Pope's Death
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Topline: Tragedy at Jet Set Club Sends Shockwaves Through U.S. Latino WhatsApp Groups
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Topline: Baseless messages linked Trump’s tariffs to Chinese store closures, reviving anti-China conspiracies.
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Topline: Practical tax advice and misinformation on WhatsApp and Telegram, particularly targeting self-employed immigrants
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Topline: Maduro’s bid to defend deported Venezuelan migrants sparks backlash on WhatsApp and Telegram, with users calling out his hypocrisy and criticizing opposition silence.
Read the complete edition here.
Topline: Spanish-speaking Telegram messages attacking Former and new Canadian Prime Minister.
Read the complete edition here.
Topline: Latinos on WhatsApp Fact-Check Trump’s Claim About Honda’s Indiana Plant
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Topline: Heads up: Conspiracy Theories Targeting Zelensky Spread Across Spanish Telegram Channels
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Topline: Venezuelan Artist’s Deportation to Guantánamo Bay Sparks Outrage; Maduro Positions Himself as Defender
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Topline: TikTok Video Shared in WhatsApp Calls on Mexicans to Rise Up Against U.S. Companies
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Topline: Spanish-Speaking Telegram Users Link USAID’s Closure to Clear Skies and Alleged Toxic Spraying
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Topline: Scammers on WhatsApp Exploit Immigration Crackdown
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Topline: Trump’s Inauguration Fuels Anti-LGBTQ and Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric in Latino WhatsApp and Telegram Conversations
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Topline: Venezuela - What was the online narrative trajectory surrounding #10Ene and #10E?
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Topline: Venezuela - What was the online narrative trajectory surrounding #9Ene and #9E?
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Topline: Venezuelan Diaspora in the U.S. Use WhatsApp to Discuss González's Return to Caracas and Potential Inauguration on January 10
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Topline: U.S. Recognition of González as Venezuelan President-Elect Sparks Debate Among Latinos on WhatsApp and Telegram
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Topline: Gabbard’s Nomination Sparks Debate Among Latinos: From Machismo to Misinformation
RFK Jr.’s Health Misinformation Gains Ground in Brazil’s WhatsApp Groups
Read the complete edition here.
Special Edition US Elections 2024 - Nov 6, 9:00 a.m - Nov 7, 9:00 a.m ET
Topline: How Latino WhatsApp and Telegram Channels Framed the 2024 Election
Read the complete edition here.
Special Edition US Elections 2024 - 9:00 p.m - 9:00 a.m ET
Topline: WhatsApp and Telegram Groups Celebrate Trump’s Return as Symbol of Conservative Strength in the Americas
Read the complete edition here.
Special Edition US Elections 2024 - 3:00 p.m - 9:00 p.m ET
Topline: Trump’s unfounded claim of “massive fraud in Philadelphia” spread to at least 18 public WhatsApp and Telegram groups within 90 minutes.
Read the complete edition here.
Special Edition US Elections 2024 - 9:00 a.m - 3:00 p.m ET
Topline: Irregularities with voting machines in Cambria County, Pennsylvania are being used to set the scene for calls of election fraud.
Read the complete edition here.
Topline: Harris’s Comments on Non-Military Intervention in Venezuela and Trump’s New Death Penalty Proposal Dominate Conversations on WhatsApp and Telegram Public Groups
Read the complete edition here.
Topline: Glenn Beck Video Targets U.S. Latinos with Fear Tactics and Anti-Media Conspiracies About Venezuela
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Topline: Latino Groups on WhatsApp Discuss Kamala Harris Town Hall While Tim Walz Faces Disinformation Attacks
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Topline: Latinos Criticize Trump and Vance for Divisive Rhetoric, and Debate Mass Deportations Policy
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Topline: WhatsApp Watch: Trump’s Deportation Threat Sparks Fear in Latino WhatsApp Groups, Legal Ads Surge
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Topline: Disinformation Linking Kamala Harris and Her Economic Policies with Communism Gained Traction in Spanish-Language WhatsApp Groups Post-Debate
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Topline: Videos Fuel Panic Over Venezuelan Gang in Colorado, Spreading Anti-Immigrant Narratives on Spanish-Speaking Telegram Channels
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Topline: Over Half a Million Spanish Speakers Targeted by Mpox Misinformation: Watch for Emerging Links to Election Fraud
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Topline: Messages on Venezuela-Based WhatsApp Public Groups Reveal Emotional Strain of July 28 Presidential Elections
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Topline: Faith and Politics Intersect: Trump’s Shooting Spurs Surge in Religious Messaging Among Spanish-Speakers
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Topline: Disinformation Campaigns Spread Baseless Attacks Against Michelle Obama in Spanish-speaking Spaces Online and in Messaging Apps
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Topline: Far-Right Users and Russian News Outlets Frame Trump as a Pacifist and Biden as a Warmonger in Spanish-Speaking Public Telegram Channels
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Topline: False Electoral Fraud Narratives Surface in Latino WhatsApp and Telegram Channels After Mexico’s Election
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Topline: Right-Wing Accounts Continue to Blame Inflation and the Economy on President Biden
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Topline: Misleading Narratives about Floods in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul State Spread Across Latino Communities in at Least 13 U.S. States
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Topline: Iran- and Russia-Backed Media Paint Biden Administration in Negative Light as Pro-Palestine Campus Demonstrations Grow
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Topline: Disinformation Targets Abinader Campaign: False Narratives on Abortion and Anti-Haitianism Surge Ahead of Dominican Elections
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Topline: Out-of-Context Videos About 'Cannibalism' in Haiti Feed Anti-Immigrant Narratives Among Latinos on WhatsApp and Telegram Channels
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Topline: Unconfirmed Claims about NATO Spread Among Latinos in Public WhatsApp and Telegram Channels
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Topline: In the Lead Up to Super Tuesday, Bolsonaro and Milei Help Trump Set a Record in WhatsApp Mentions
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Topline: On our 100-Day Anniversary, DDIA Recaps How We Monitor WhatsApp and Telegram
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Topline: Misleading and Graphic Videos Triple in Number on Latino Public Messaging Groups Amid Israel-Hamas War
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Topline: Noboa Supporters Mobilized on WhatsApp to Strengthen President's Campaign Against Organized Crime in Ecuador
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Topline: False Claims of Biden Being Cited in Epstein Court Documents Circulate on Spanish-Language Messaging Apps
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Topline: Pro-Bukele TikTok Videos Go Viral In U.S.-Based Latino WhatsApp Groups As He Campaigns For Reelection
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Topline: Pope Francis is Under Attack
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