WhatsApp has put new restrictions in place in an effort to stop the spread of fake news and misinformation about the COVID-19.
The new rules allow users to forward messages to only one chat group at a time. It’s an attempt to stop the rapid propagation of content which might be fake.
According to WhatsApp, the new measures will help people use the platform for personal and private communication during the coronavirus pandemic.
In a blog post, WhatsApp said that it had seen an increase in potential fake news on its platform.
“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,” it said via blog.
“We believe it’s important to slow the spread of these messages down to keep WhatsApp a place for personal conversation.”
Last year the platform put limits to stop forwarded messages to just five chats, to “constrain virality”. The new policy applies to messages that have been forwarded many times (earning them a double arrow icon).
“In effect, these messages are less personal compared to typical messages sent on WhatsApp,” the blog said.
“We are now introducing a limit so that these messages can only be forwarded to one chat at a time.”
Both WhatsApp and Facebook (who owns the messaging platform) have recently scrambled to help curb rumours and conspiracy theories around the coronavirus.
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