Whatsapp has been combating the spread of misinformation and rumors after fake Whatsapp forwards leave nine lynched to death in India. Continuing the deployment of safety measures for its users, Whatsapp is now testing limits on its forwarded messages and media.
Now a limit will be put on the forward features that enable users to forward messages to multiple users at a time. Announcing the test, WhatsApp informed that locations such as India where people forward more messages, videos, and, photos than any country in the world will get only the lower limit of five chats at one.
In addition to the limit, Whatsapp will also be removing the quick forward button that has been placed next to media messages. The company will evaluate the effectiveness of these changes. If they prove to ensure safety, the features will continue to be deployed.
Being committed to user safety, WhatsApp also announced labeling forward messages to identify the source of messages. It is also testing a feature to mark suspicious links and spam posts. Before the link detection feature rolls out, the messaging platform has started labeling forwarded messages.
The limit feature is one of the steps that Whatsapp has taken to fight misinformation and fake rumors going viral. The company also announced to offer cash rewards to researchers to tackle fake news. The app’s parent company Facebook, has also acquired an AI team from a UK startup to fact check misinformation going viral on the platform.
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