Welcome to REDESCover, an initiative by DDIA to track and analyze false and misleading narratives and other digital threats emerging within Latino communities on social media and messaging apps.
This newsletter highlights misinformation, propaganda, and hyper-partisan narratives and inauthentic behavior breaking out in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok, with a special section on WhatsApp and Telegram.
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Please note: REDESCover editions are listed below in reverse chronological order, with the most recent version of the newsletter appearing at the top.
Past Editions:
Topline: False Claims About Pardons and Anti-Vaccine Criticism Target Biden Administration
Other narratives and claims covered:
Trump's Tough Stance on Venezuela Amplified on Spanish-Language Social Media
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: Biden Criticized Over Pardon Granted to Son Hunter
Other narratives and claims covered:
Anti-LGBTQ, Particularly Anti-Trans, Narratives Continue to Spread in Latino Online Spaces
U.S. Recognition of González as Venezuelan President-Elect Sparks Debate Among Latinos on WhatsApp and Telegram
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Topline: Right-Wing Latino Accounts Express Support for Trump’s Cabinet and Staff Nominations
Other narratives and claims covered:
Latino Partisan Accounts Amplify Claims That Biden’s Approval of U.S. Missiles in Ukraine Could Lead to World War
Gabbard’s Nomination Sparks Debate Among Latinos: From Machismo to Misinformation
RFK Jr.’s Health Misinformation Gains Ground in Brazil’s WhatsApp Groups
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Special Edition US Elections 2024 - Nov 6, 9:00 a.m - Nov 7, 9:00 a.m ET
Topline: Right-wing Latino and Spanish-language accounts and influencers, including LEXIT, Emmanuel Rincón, and right-wing media outlet UHN, are criticizing MSNBC for scapegoating Latinos for “not supporting Kamala Harris,” garnering hundreds to thousands of shares.
Other narratives and claims covered:
Disinformation about election fraud continues to decline and remains largely absent in Latino spaces online.
Anti-LGBTQ+ claims have spread widely in Latino and Spanish-language spaces online this year, particularly in right-wing spaces. Now that the presidential election results are known, anti-LGBTQ+ accounts have reignited anti-trans narratives.
Read the complete edition here.
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Special Edition US Elections 2024 - 9:00 p.m - 9:00 a.m ET
Topline: Donald Trump has been projected the winner by the AP and major TV networks. With that, overnight, disinformation about election fraud in key swing states went quiet in English and Spanish.
Other narratives and claims covered:
Many newsmakers and pundits have already begun to blame Latino voters for these election results.
Current and former Latin American presidents have shared their congratulations for Donald Trump’s victory, each in their own way and with a nod to ideologies and values.
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Special Edition US Elections 2024 - 3:00 p.m - 9:00 p.m ET
Topline: Trump Amplifies Election Fraud Claims in Pennsylvania
Other narratives and claims covered:
Data related to exit polls and to early vote counts are being shared on X and in public WhatsApp and Telegram groups to “prove” that Donald Trump is likely to win.
On a smaller scale, pieces of content are circulating on Latino WhatsApp and Telegram public groups suggesting that a “global elite” is moving the needle to negatively impact Trump.
Read the complete edition here.
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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.
Other narratives and claims covered:
Florida results are being discussed on Facebook, X, and in public WhatsApp and Telegram groups, and being framed among Donald Trump supporters as proof that he is likely to win, with some posts on WhatsApp and Telegram claiming he already won.
As is often the case in English, Telegram and X in channels and accounts in Spanish also continue to harbor the most extremist and toxic content.
Read the complete edition here.
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Topline: U.S. Latinos React to Racist Remarks About Puerto Rico Made By a Speaker at a Trump Rally
Other narratives and claims covered:
False Claims of Fraud and Election Interference Ramp Up in Swing States as Part of Larger Effort to Sow Doubt in the Electoral Process
Harris’s Comments on Non-Military Intervention in Venezuela and Trump’s New Death Penalty Proposal Dominate Conversations on WhatsApp and Telegram Public Groups
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Topline: Harris is Attacked with False Claims She is Anti-Christian and a Liar
Other narratives and claims covered:
Partisans Promote False Claims of Migrant Election Interference
Glenn Beck Video Targets U.S. Latinos with Fear Tactics and Anti-Media Conspiracies About Venezuela
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Topline: Partisans Continue to Promote Claims of Non-Citizen Voting
Other narratives and claims covered:
Attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris and Democrats Continue with Claims of Pandering to Communities of Color
Latino Groups on WhatsApp Discuss Kamala Harris Town Hall While Tim Walz Faces Disinformation Attacks
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Topline: Amid Hurricanes, Misinformation About FEMA Spreads
Other narratives and claims covered:
Attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris Continue with False Claims of Incompetence and Lack of Achievements
Latinos Criticize Trump and Vance for Divisive Rhetoric, and Debate Mass Deportations Policy
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Topline: Partisans Seize on Election Interference Claims
Other narratives and claims covered:
Anti-Immigration Accounts Ramp Up Claims of Migrant-Led Crime, Social Decay
VP Debate Sparks Limited Narratives in Latino Spaces Online
WhatsApp Watch: Trump’s Deportation Threat Sparks Fear in Latino WhatsApp Groups, Legal Ads Surge
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Topline: Right-Wing Accounts Accuse Democrats of Stoking Anti-Trump Violence
Other narratives and claims covered:
Haitian Migrants Become Center of False, Misleading Anti-Immigrant Narratives
Disinformation Linking Kamala Harris and Her Economic Policies with Communism Gained Traction in Spanish-Language WhatsApp Groups Post-Debate
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Topline: Overhyped and Misleading Claims of a ‘Tren de Aragua’ Criminal Influx in Aurora, CO Fuel Anti-Immigrant Sentiments
Other narratives and claims covered:
Latino Influencers and Journalists Accuse Biden Administration of Censoring Free Speech
Latino Influencers and Right-Wing Media Amplify Misleading Attacks on Kamala Harris
Videos Fuel Panic Over Venezuelan Gang in Colorado, Spreading Anti-Immigrant Narratives on Spanish-Speaking Telegram Channels
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Topline: Hyper-Partisans React to the Democratic National Convention
Other narratives and claims covered:
Attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris Persist
Over Half a Million Spanish Speakers Targeted by Mpox Misinformation: Watch for Emerging Links to Election Fraud
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Topline: Hyper-Partisan Attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris Persist
Other narratives and claims covered:
Conversations About Kamala Harris Selecting Tim Walz as Her Vice Presidential Candidate are Limited in Latino Spaces Online
Gender-Identity Attacks Blow Up After Olympic Boxing Match
Messages on Venezuela-Based WhatsApp Public Groups Reveal Emotional Strain of July 28 Presidential Elections
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Topline: Outrage and Conspiracy Theories Spark Over Biden's 2024 Election Withdrawal
Other narratives and claims covered:
Conspiracy Theorists, Hyper-Partisan Accounts Aim Attacks at Vice President Kamala Harris
Faith and Politics Intersect: Trump’s Shooting Spurs Surge in Religious Messaging Among Spanish-Speakers
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Topline: President Biden’s Physical and Mental Fitness Continues to be Questioned
Other narratives and claims covered:
False and Hateful Content Emerges From the Aftermath of the French Elections
Disinformation Campaigns Spread Baseless Attacks Against Michelle Obama (Again) in Spanish-speaking Spaces Online and in Messaging Apps
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Topline: Anti-Immigrant Accounts Frame Immigration as a Crisis of Crime
Other narratives and claims covered:
Partisan Accounts Amplify Misleading Claims Ahead of Presidential Debate
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: Mexican Election Prompts Familiar Claims of Election Fraud
Other narratives and claims covered:
Hunter Biden’s Guilty Verdict Sparks Claims of Corruption
Anti-LGBTQ+ Accounts Lambast Pride Month
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Topline: Pro-Trump Supporters Continue to Decry Trump’s Criminal Trial as “Political Persecution”
Other narratives and claims covered:
Death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi Ignites Conspiratorial Claims
Right-Wing Accounts Continue to Blame Inflation and the Economy on President Biden
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Topline: Right-Wing Accounts Rehash Anti-LGBTQ+ and Indoctrination Narratives
Other narratives and claims covered:
Vaccine Misinformation Resurges Following AstraZeneca's Withdrawal of COVID-19 Vaccine
Partisan Accounts Continue to Decry Pro-Palestine Demonstrations
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: Campus Protests Ignite Partisan Backlash
Other narratives and claims covered:
Pro-Trump Supporters Continue To Decry Trump’s Criminal Trial
Iran- and Russia-Backed Media Paint Biden Administration in Negative Light as Pro-Palestine Campus Demonstrations Grow
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Topline: Trump Criminal Trial Sparks Right-Wing Backlash Centering U.S. Justice System
Other narratives and claims covered:
Fabricated Flier Calls on Migrants Crossing the Border To Vote For Biden
Iran’s Attack on Israel Sparks Claims of World War III Being Imminent
Disinformation Targets Abinader Campaign: False Narratives on Abortion and Anti-Haitianism Surge Ahead of Dominican Elections
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Topline: Baltimore Key Bridge Collapse Fuels Conspiracy Theories
Other narratives and claims covered:
Transgender Day of Visibility Sparks Transphobia Narratives
Out-of-Context Videos About 'Cannibalism' in Haiti Feed Anti-Immigrant Narratives Among Latinos on WhatsApp and Telegram Channels
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Topline: Anti-Immigrant Narratives Continue to Spread in Latino Spaces Online
Other narratives and claims covered:
Protests in Cuba Spark Anti-Communism Rhetoric
Transphobia Narratives Continue to Spread in Latino Spaces Online
Unconfirmed Claims about NATO Spread Among Latinos in Public WhatsApp and Telegram Channels
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Topline : Anti-Immigrant Narratives Deepen Following Murder of Georgia Student
Other narratives and claims covered:
Tucker Carlson’s 2020 Election Comments Spark Voter Fraud Narratives
In the Lead Up to Super Tuesday, Bolsonaro and Milei Help Trump Set a Record in WhatsApp Mentions
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Topline: Anti-LGBTQ+ Narratives Flourish in Latino Spaces Online
Other narratives and claims covered:
Tucker Carlson’s Interview with Putin Draws Partisan Praise and Sparks Pro-Kremlin Rhetoric
Right-Wing Accounts Continue to Criticize and Question Biden’s Cognitive Abilities
On our 100-Day Anniversary, DDIA Recaps How We Monitor WhatsApp and Telegram
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Topline: Bukele’s Re-Election Draws Partisan Praise Across the Americas
Other narratives and claims covered:
Right-Wing Accounts Continue to Spread Anti-Immigrant Narratives and Conspiracies
Misleading and Graphic Videos Triple in Number on Latino Public Messaging Groups Amid Israel-Hamas War
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Topline: Violent and Graphic Content Stemming from Ecuador’s Security Crisis Swarms Online Spaces
Other narratives and claims covered:
Putin’s False Claims About the 2020 U.S. Election Echoed by State-Controlled Media and Others
Argentina’s Javier Milei Criticizes 'Global Elites' and 'Socialism' at World Economic Forum, Drawing Partisan Praise
Noboa Supporters Mobilized on WhatsApp to Strengthen President's Campaign Against Organized Crime in Ecuador
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Topline: Conspiracies Swirl in the Wake of the January 6th Anniversary
Other narratives and claims covered:
Pro-Trump Accounts Criticize Democrats After Colorado and Maine Bar Trump From Ballot
Unsealed Court Documents Reignite Epstein Conspiracies
False Claims of Biden Being Cited in Epstein Court Documents Circulate on Spanish-Language Messaging Apps
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Topline: Russia’s State-Controlled Media Criticize The United States For Its Role In Israel And Ukraine
Other narratives and claims covered:
Praise For Argentina’s New President Javier Milei Following His Inauguration
Hyper-Partisan Accounts In Spain And The U.S. Continue To Push Anti-Immigrant Narratives Online
Pro-Bukele TikTok Videos Go Viral In U.S.-Based Latino WhatsApp Groups As He Campaigns For Reelection
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Topline: Claims of Election Fraud and Doubt on the Integrity of Elections Arose in the Lead-Up to Argentina’s Presidential Election
Other narratives and claims covered:
Anti-Immigrant Narratives Flourish in the U.S. and Abroad
Conversations About the Israel-Hamas War Continue, Including Lambasting Supporters of Palestine
Pope Francis is Under Attack
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