Virality of Information Diffusion on WhatsApp

Yuxin Liu, Kiran Garimella, M. Amin Rahimian

Abstract: This paper explores the structural characteristics of information dissemination on WhatsApp, focusing particularly on the concepts of "breadth" and "depth." "Breadth" refers to the maximum number of groups to which a message is simultaneously forwarded, while "depth" indicates the maximum number of times a message is forwarded. Using a dataset from 1,600 groups in India comprising over 760,000 messages spanning text, images, and videos, this study employs hashing techniques to track message propagation in a privacy-preserving manner. Analysis of cascade size, breadth, and depth reveals significant trends: text and video messages tend to generate larger cascade sizes compared to images. Contrary to public platforms, depth emerges as the primary driver behind widespread information dissemination (which could be due to WhatsApp's limitations on message broadcasts). Additionally, distinct disparities among message types show depth as the decisive factor in text and video cascades, while both breadth and depth significantly contribute to image cascades. These findings underscore the importance of considering structural nuances in understanding information spread dynamics on private messaging platforms, providing valuable insights for effective dissemination strategies and management in digital communication landscapes.