WhatsApp in Brazil – statistics & facts

From instant messenger to e-commerce channel

WhatsApp is becoming a recurring tool for online sales in Brazil. Almost 10 percent of mobile internet users surveyed in September 2020 said they used the app for ordering food. Its presence in Brazilian e-commerce also takes place through WhatsApp Business, a spin-off that allows small and medium-sized enterprises to interact with clients and create online catalogs. As of February 2021, one out of five of its catalogs worldwide were uploaded in Brazil. Large corporations also benefit from the trend. Throughout 2020, WhatsApp sales accounted for 16 percent of the total sales of Via Varejo, one of the largest retailers in that country. In the last quarter of that year alone, the share surpassed 20 percent.

The challenges of digital privacy and fake news

WhatsApp is a source of news for many Brazilians. Nearly half of the people surveyed online in 2020 said they turned to this mobile app to access news content. However, not always users perceive the content shared by friends, family, and acquaintances as reliable. Another study, conducted later that same year, shows that 90 percent of respondents stated that there should be a law obliging social media companies to protect users from fake news in Brazil. This issue, along with concerns regarding digital privacy, is leading some Brazilians to turn to other instant messengers. Between 2019 and 2021, the penetration rate of the Telegram app among mobile internet users in Brazil zoomed from 13 to 45 percent. Time will tell if WhatsApp can connect people and support businesses while preventing privacy breaches and overcoming the hurdles of the post-truth era.

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