Analysis of the (Mis)information Dissemination Network in WhatsApp

Abstract

In this thesis, we aim at investigating the spread of information, notably misinformation, on WhatsApp. We show how WhatsApp enables the formation of a rich underlying network that, while crossing the boundaries of existing groups, have structural properties that favor information dissemination at large. Next, we delve deeper into this network to identify user communities, i.e., groupings of users who, intentionally or not, share the same content disproportionately often and characterize how such components could affect information dissemination. By analyzing content sharing and network topological properties focusing on three perspectives (individuals, WhatsApp groups, user communities), our study offers valuable insights into how WhatsApp users leverage the underlying network connecting different groups to gain large reach in the spread of misinformation in the platform.