Having set out to use both behavioral and narrative research to understand the impact of online harms on Latinos during a crucial election year in the United States, today we lay out some of our most consequential findings.
12 Questions and Answers
Are U.S. Latinos more susceptible to misinformation than the general U.S. population?
Not inherently! In our public opinion research this year, we used the University of Cambridge’s Misinformation Susceptibility Test (MIST) to test how susceptible Latinos are to misinformation compared to the general American public. In our poll of 3,000+ Latinos in March/April of 2024, Latinos accurately identified true and false headlines at almost the same rate as the general population: 62% among Latinos vs. 66% for the general population. Despite not being inherently more susceptible to misinformation, many other factors, including partisanship and distrust, play into why Latinos might see and believe misinformation. In studying the impact of online harms on our communities, it is crucial to remember that people are not gullible -- they are uncertain and reacting skeptically to false information presented as true. We'll be studying the many factors that play into this bigger question in 2025 and beyond.How much are Latinos in the U.S. using generative AI technologies in their daily lives?
At the beginning of this year, experts predicted AI would fundamentally impact elections around the world. In the U.S., many argue that did not come to pass. Nevertheless, it is important to understand just how much AI is becoming a part of our daily lives, because it IS poised to change how we work, play, and make sense of the world. Most Latinos in the U.S. are not yet using gen-AI tools in their day-to-day lives, but the percentage that are is growing. Per the two foundational polls we conducted in 2024, in March/April only 15% of our sample indicated using ChatGPT on a regular basis. In September, 20% of our sample indicated using ChatGPT on a regular basis. Those percentages were far lower for other gen-AI tools, including Bing/Copilot Chat, Midjourney, Dall-E, and Stable Diffusion.How do U.S.-based Latinos feel about regulations around gen-AI technologies?
In both our March/April and September polls, we asked Latinos how much they agreed with the following statement: “There is a pressing need for stricter regulations and oversight of artificial intelligence technologies.” In both waves, over two-thirds of respondents agreed there was a pressing need to regulate AI. Over two-thirds also expressed concern that AI could "take jobs away from regular people." Even though many Latinos are not using these tools every day, we need to keep in mind that our communities are worried about the impact AI could have on democracy and the economy.
Which stakeholders are most trusted by Latinos in the United States?
Not surprisingly, our research shows that political party affiliation plays a huge part in who Latinos trust.
Among Latino Democrats:
Most trusted: Scientists; journalists; fact-checkers; Biden; other Democrats
Least trusted: Fox News; social media; Supreme Court; Republicans
Among Republicans
Most trusted: Scientists; Supreme Court; religious leaders; other Republicans
Least trusted: CNN; MSNBC; “media organizations”; journalists; activists; Biden
What are the key drivers of engagement with false or misleading information among U.S. Latinos?
Most people are not being tricked when they engage with false content - our research suggests people that are accepting misinformation at high rates do so because of factors that have less to do with their level of education or intelligence, and more to do with their level of interest in politics, their conspiratorial tendencies, and their information and news consumption. A high level of interest in politics makes people feel more connected to content that reinforces their values and identities, a distrust in elites and institutions make people more conspiratorial, and a high level of consumption of hyper-partisan news and information may mean they are more exposed to misleading or one-sided content.Are Latinos from certain countries of origin more likely to believe misinformation?
By and large, no, though more research is needed to understand differences in engagement with disinformation among national subgroups. Our public opinion research this year showed little correlation between a person’s country of origin and their propensity to believe disinformation. Our samples were demographically divided between people from Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Other – examining a variety of claims and narratives, we observe minimal differences in total misinformation acceptance across these major national origin groups. In only one case did we observe a statistically significant difference between national origin groups. Specifically, in our September poll of 3,000 Latino adults, we found a higher rate of belief in the narrative that “traditional values are being eroded by a leftist political agenda that is being implemented in schools” among Cuban Americans (30%) relative to Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans (18%).Is WhatsApp a driver of misinformation spread among Latinos?
Yes and no! WhatsApp is a vector for the spread of misinformation, not necessarily a driver of its creation. That said, dissemination of misinformation happens cyclically! What does that mean? Our WhatsApp monitoring of 1,400+ public WhatsApp groups of Latinos this year showed that false and misleading content is spreading on WhatsApp across countries - with elections, wars, and episodes of violence leading a lot of it. Images and videos figure prominently in the spread of misleading content, and those images and videos often come from other platforms. A lot of what we identified spreading had previously been shared on YouTube, Instagram or TikTok. We'll continue studying WhatsApp and its dynamics in 2025. Stay tuned.
Which false claim penetrated among Latinos the most in 2024?
The claim with the highest acceptance rate out of the 15 we tested is that “Donald Trump was named on the 'Epstein List' that was released, a list featuring famous individuals who traveled with known convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.” In March/April 54% of Latinos who had seen this claim believed it. In September, 58% of exposed Latinos accepted it as true. Several other claims also received relatively high levels of acceptance among the exposed. In both March/April and in September, over 40% of Latinos indicated believing that “polls are being manipulated to distort public opinion.” A note that even though the “Big Lie” is widely rejected by most Latinos, one-third of Latinos who have been exposed to the “Big Lie” do accept it.Which conspiracy theory penetrated the most among Latinos in 2024?
Our team tested 7 narratives that we consider conspiratorial, though not necessarily completely true or completely false. Among the seven tested, we found that the following two were penetrating the most.
“Corporations are all-powerful in American politics, with little room for the public to make a difference.” (in March/April, 50% of people who had seen this narrative believed it; in September, 47%)
“Elites are plotting with mainstream media outlets and social media companies to censor the truth.” (in March/April, 47% of people who had seen this narrative believed it; in September, 46%)
What is the key to making prebunking content more culturally competent for Latino audiences?
There is no one correct way to make content that resonates with Latinos, because Latino communities are super diverse! That said, a few things are important to keep in mind when creating inoculation (or prebunking) content, specifically:
Respect your audience’s intelligence (people are not stupid, and if you make them feel that way, they will tune out),
Back assertions you make with actual evidence (show AND tell),
Keep your messengers neutral (remember that prebunking is not the same as political persuasion),
Harness pop culture and humor,
Employ shared values (like family values), but make sure not to Latino-coat (this is not about stereotyping!)
Partner with Latino voices,
Shy away from Spanglish content, in favor of producing BOTH English and Spanish content. Most importantly, don’t pander!
How do gender and age factor into belief in misinformation among Latinos?
Based on our polling, age differences in misinformation acceptance are often larger than gender differences. Among Latino men, 25% of those aged 18–29 fall into misinformation-adopting subgroups, compared to 45% of those aged 65+—a 20-point increase. Among Latina women, the increase is smaller, from 28% to 39% (an 11-point difference). By comparison, gender differences within specific age groups are much smaller, with a 3-point gap at 18–29 and a 6-point gap at 65+. The exception to this pattern holds for uncertainty, where women are generally more uncertain than men across age groups.
Who can I follow for more information about Latino voters?
2024 saw many organizations prioritizing Latinos in their outreach and engagement. We suggest following the below three organizations for great content in 2025.