Project Testimo

Testimo

WhatsApp-based tool that allows at-risk migrants to securely and anonymously tell their stories.

Challenge

Seeking asylum is a human right, protected under U.S. and international law. Yet since 2018, unlawful policies have left hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers stranded for months on end in dangerous areas along the Mexican border.

While forced to ‘remain in Mexico,’ many migrants have experienced violent harm, including kidnapping, sexual assault, torture, and extortion. But these human rights violations remain largely undocumented and invisible. And those most impacted – Black, Indigenous, LGBTQI, women, children, and other vulnerable groups – are often the ones least heard.

Solution

Testimo is a custom WhatsApp-based chatbot and database that empowers migrants to discreetly, securely, and anonymously tell their stories.

Testimo is designed to offer people a secure, accessible channel to have their voices heard, while creating a real-time record of abuses that can be used to drive advocacy, legal action, and policy change.

A limited field pilot was run in 2024 that validated the need, usability, and value of Testimo.

However, since Trump’s inauguration, the Lab and our advocacy partners have shifted our focus to rapidly respond to serious threats facing immigrants in the interior. We plan to revisit the pilot in the future when capacity.

Key Features

Accessible Platform: Testimo was built on top of WhatsApp as a familiar and accessible platform that many already use to stay connected with family and friends, with the added benefit of end-to-end encryption.

Trauma Informed Design: Testimo uses multiple-choice questions to allow participants to share their stories without needing to re-live the most painful parts of their experience, while also giving the option for users to leave voice notes to tell stories on their own terms.

Maximum Security: In addition to end-to-end encryption, additional security measures include: limiting distribution to trusted partners in safe locations, ensuring messages are set to disappear automatically, and anonymizing all data collected.