Overview
- Messages about politics in family, friends and work groups became less frequent from 2021 to 2024, falling to 27%, 24% and 11% respectively.
- Only 6% of respondents said they were in politics‑focused WhatsApp groups, down from 10% in 2020.
- A majority reported fear of expressing political views, with 56% citing a very aggressive environment and 52% saying they increasingly self‑police what they post.
- Users described strategies to avoid conflict, including using humor (30%), moving conversations to private chats (34%) and limiting debate to like‑minded groups (29%).
- The study, based on an online sample of 3,113 people interviewed Nov. 20–Dec. 10, 2024 nationwide, was funded by WhatsApp, which researchers say did not influence the work.