LONDON – WhataApp today said it is rolling out a new feature that will letits users identify the messages that are forwarded, as the popularmessaging app looks to combat fake news and false information in India.
WhatsApp earlier today also unleashed a user awareness drive in the countryafter drawing flak from the Indian government over fake and provocativemessages being circulated on its platform.
These messages have incited mob-fury, triggering multiple cases of lynchingacross parts of India and, in turn, prompted the government to issue astern warning to the company to clamp down on hoax messages designed to”provoke” and “instigate” people. The government had also made it clear,last week, that WhatsApp “cannot evade accountability and responsibility”.
“Starting today, WhatsApp will indicate which messages you receive havebeen forwarded to you. This extra context will help make one-on-one andgroup chats easier to follow. It also helps you determine if your friend orrelative wrote the message they sent or if it originally came from someoneelse,” WhatsApp said in a global statement.
Users will need to have the latest supported version of WhatsApp on theirphone to see the new forwarded label, the company explained.”We encourage you to think before sharing messages that were forwarded. Asa reminder, you can report spam or block a contact in one tap and canalways reach out to WhatsApp directly for help,” WhatsApp said.[image: WhatsApp]
WhatsApp today began an awareness campaign to help users identify andprevent the spread of false information, hoax messages and fake news.The Facebook-owned messaging service brought out full-page advertisement inleading newspapers, first in the series of its user awareness drive, giving”easy tips” to determine if information received is, indeed, true.
The latest campaign by WhatsApp also outlines ways to spot falseinformation including identifying forwarded messages, and coaxing users to”double check” on information using multiple sources to establishauthenticity of a news or a photograph.
The campaign also nudged users to question information that is meant toinstil anger or fear and to think twice before sharing such messages.
Last week, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasadlink>had demanded greateraccountability from WhatsApp, saying that the government will not tolerateany misuse of the platform to spread fake messages.
In response, WhatsApp had informed the government that fake news,misinformation and hoaxes can be checked by the government, civil societyand technology companies “working together”.
Reiterating the message today in its advocacy campaign, WhatsApp said: “Tofight fake news, we all need to work together – technology companies, thegovernment and community groups. If you see something that’s not true, makepeople aware and help stop the spread.”
Rumours on WhatsApp have fuelled a spate of incidents involving mob fury, arecent one being lynching of five men on the suspicion of beingchild-lifters in Maharashtra’s Rainpada village of Dhule districtlink>.