Regulatory Challenges in Controlling Misinformation on Encrypted and Algorithm-Driven Platforms: A Critical Evaluation of Facebook and WhatsApp

The exponential growth of digital communication platforms has reshaped democratic discourse while simultaneously intensifying the challenge of misinformation control. Encrypted messaging applications and algorithm-driven social networking platforms present distinct regulatory complexities due to their structural and technological architectures. The present study critically evaluates regulatory challenges in controlling misinformation on Facebook and WhatsApp. Adopting a descriptive-analytical research design, the study draws upon policy analysis, a user perception survey (N = 180), and secondary legal documents to examine regulatory mechanisms, content moderation practices, and governance limitations. Statistical tools such as percentage analysis and weighted mean scores were used to interpret user perceptions regarding regulatory effectiveness. The findings indicate that while Facebook faces challenges related to algorithmic transparency and large-scale content moderation, WhatsApp presents unique difficulties due to end-to-end encryption and traceability constraints. The study concludes that a uniform regulatory approach is inadequate; instead, platform-specific, rights-sensitive, and technologically informed regulatory frameworks are necessary to balance freedom of expression with misinformation control.