WhatsApp implements limitations on message forwarding to curb the spread of misinformation about the Coronavirus pandemic.
With COVID19 outbreak the number of fake news that is spreading through social networks and instant messaging apps is growing exponentially.
The limits introduced by WhatsApp aim at allowing to forward certain messages to one “chat” at a time, preventing the spread of fake news.
“We’ve seen a significant increase in the amount of forwarding which users have told us can feel overwhelming and can contribute to the spread of misinformation,” reads a post published by WhatsApp.
The company also announced an ongoing collaboration with NGOs and governments, including the World Health Organization and over 20 national health ministries, to facilitate the circulation of accurate information from trusted sources.
Last year WhatsApp adopted “the concept of messages that have been forwarded many times” by labeling such kinds of messages with double arrows. The intent is to warn users about the legitimate source of the message. Now WhatsApp introduces a limit so that these messages can be forwarded to one chat at a time.
“We are now introducing a limit so that these messages can only be forwarded to one chat at a time.” continues WhatsApp.
Let me close suggesting people avoid forwarding unsolicited messages that contain suspicious information, especially related to Coronavirus outbreak, double-check the content by searching news from trusted sources online before spreading it.
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(SecurityAffairs – Fake News, Coronavirus)
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