Disinformation in Latin America

False news and the use of information technology for manipulative purposes takes on added importance because of the explosion of social media usage in Latin America and the Caribbean. Most of these techniques are not being tested in the background but are being deployed directly to millions of internet users. It is estimated that the region’s online population reached over 540m people at the end of 2022, making it the fifth largest regional social media market globally. Within the region Brazil (165m social media users) and Mexico (98m) are dominant. It has been estimated that audiences in the region spend an average of 214 minutes on social media every day, making it by far the most popular form of media, eclipsing more traditional media such as newspapers and linear television. According to an Atlas VPN study in 2022, the region’s heaviest internet users are the Brazilians. Argentines, Colombians, and Chileans.