ISLAMABAD –WhatsApp launches two new features for its users to avoid fakenews spread.
WhatsApp has taken an initiative to eradicate fake news from its platformby drastically restricting users’ ability to forward messages to others.
This new feature restricts forwarding a text to more than five people at atime to lessen the flow of misinformation on WhatsApp.
“Starting today, all users on the latest versions of WhatsApp can nowforward to only five chats at once, which will help keep WhatsApp focusedon private messaging with close contacts, the Facebook-owned company saidin an emailed statement. “We’ll continue to listen to user feedback abouttheir experience, and over time, look for new ways of addressing viralcontent.”
The change will apparently apply around the world. Facebook-owned WhatsApphas already been trying out increased restrictions for the last six months,a limit of 20 forwards globally, and just five in India, where WhatsApp hasprovided a vector for the spread of child abduction rumors that resulted inmob lynching.
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“WhatsApp carefully evaluated this test and listened to user feedback overa six-month period,” the statement read. “The forward limit significantlyreduced forwarded messages around the world.”
WhatsApp is working on two new tweaks to upgrade its forward feature.Calling it “Forwarding Info” and “Frequently Forwarded”, the two newchanges were spotted in the works in the latest Android beta version.
The two features are not enabled yet, but they should be in future betaupdates.
