Whatsapp Aims To Fight Fake News With New Limit On Message Forwarding

By Deepak Rajawat • Updated On 7 Apr 2020

Like
Comment
Share

Popular cross-platform messaging app WhatsApp is imposing new restrictions on forwarded messages. The Facebook-owned app will now allow frequently-forwarded messages to only one chat per user. WhatsApp believes it will help in curbing the spread of misinformation related to coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

WhatsApp put out an official statement revealing the new forward limit and announced that rollout will commence from Tuesday.

“We wanted to highlight a feature change that WhatsApp is rolling out today to slow the spread of misinformation. Today we are announcing a new limit so frequently-forwarded messages can only be forwarded to one chat at a time. This limit kicks in once a message has been previously forwarded five times or more,” the statement said.

ALSO READ: How to recharge mobile number from ATM

Back in January 2019, WhatsApp came up with the distinction of frequently-forwarded messages. As per Whatsapp, a message that has been forwarded 5 times will be deemed as frequently-forwarded messages. Whatsapp marks them with two arrows on the top.

This limit on frequently-forwarded messages is being imposed globally including India. As per WhatsApp, this will help in restricting the spread of misinformation about the Covid-19 epidemic.

“This is the latest limit that WhatsApp has set, making us one of the few products that have taken steps to constrain virality and place limits on how people can send messages,” the statement added.

ALSO READ: Expect Another Soar In Phone Prices Post Lockdown, Hints IDC

To fight misinformation Whatsapp is beta-testing another feature where users will be able to verify information from the web through a single tap. As per Whatsapp, it is testing a magnifying glass icon which will be displayed next to frequently-forwarded messages that will lead people to a web search leading them to news results or other sources of information.

“Double-checking these messages before forwarding may help reduce the spread of rumors. This feature is currently in testing and we’ll keep you updated on the next steps,” the statement added.

Deepak Rajawat

Deepak Rajawat is a technology journalist and editor with over 12 years of experience in both print and digital media. Before transitioning to online journalism, he contributed to renowned publications including Hindustan Times and The Statesman.

At Smartprix, Deepak reviews smartphones, laptops, TVs, and soundbars, with a focus on answering the real-world questions that matter most to consumers. Over the past decade, he has reviewed more than 1,000 devices, combining hands-on expertise with a user-first approach.

A graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Calcutta University, Deepak also follows emerging technologies closely—including Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR). Earlier in his career, he covered sports with the same passion he now brings to tech.

He is based in Noida and joined Smartprix in September 2015.

Apple’s M7 Ultra Chip Could Compete With Nvidia’s Blackwell GPUs For Top-Tier AI Performance: Report

Apple’s decision to skip the M6 Pro, M6 Max, and M6 Ultra was unusual enough when Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman first reported it in June. However, the same source now reports that Apple began work on the M7 just six months after finalizing the M6.That is an unusual pace. The normal gap between tape-outs in …

Top 6 New WhatsApp Features likely to debut in 2022

Messaging app WhatsApp is planning to introduce a host of new features in the year 2022. Last year, WhatsApp came up with features like voice and video calling on desktop, disappearing photos and videos, and others which were helpful to some and not so much to others. Now, in 2022 WhatsApp is planning to carry …

WhatsApp now allows users to delete sent messages for over 2 days: Read on to know more

Facebook-owned messaging platform WhatsApp keeps introducing new features every now and then to make the messenger an even better experience for the users. WhatsApp has now confirmed that it will allow the senders to delete messages up to two days after they are sent. WhatsApp took to Twitter to announce this new feature. The tweet …

WhatsApp Is Testing A Paid Subscription: But Don’t Expect It to Do Anything Useful

WhatsApp has always been free, and it’s going to stay that way, well, mostly. Why am I saying that? Meta has officially confirmed it is testing a new paid tier for the messaging platform, WhatsApp Plus. While this version is currently in a limited Android beta, a broader rollout across iOS and other platforms is …

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon C Aims To Bring Windows laptops down to ₹30,000 to fight the MacBook Neo

Qualcomm has launched the Snapdragon C Platform, a new entry-level processor for Windows laptops. The company is positioning it as a direct answer to Apple’s MacBook Neo. Snapdragon C aims for laptops starting at $300 (approx ₹30,000 to ₹40,000 in India), which is about half the price of the MacBook Neo’s $599 (₹69,900 in India) …