April 8, 2020: With millions of active users on social media, the virality of false information has turned out to become another epidemic which is now starting to violate. To halt the spread of misinformation on its portal, WhatsApp has imposed a limit on frequently sharing and forwarded messages. You will only be able to forward one message to one chat from today as group sharing will be restricted.
WhatsApp made this decision at the time when misinformation about COVID-19 has been spreading faster than Coronavirus itself. Popular video sharing app, Bytedance-owned TikTok got criticized by its users and global media over some viral videos that highlighted a particular region cannot be affected by this life threatening virus.
“This is to inform you about a feature change that WhatsApp is heating up to slow down the spread of false information around Coronavirus. We are limiting the sharing of frequently forwarded messages so it will only be forwarded to one chat at a time. This feature is to halt the spread of misinformation at the system and will automatically kick out a message if it has been forwarded more than 5 times previously.” WhatsApp officials Tweeted.
Coronavirus Outbreak: Highlights
- British PM Boris Johnson’s Condition is Getting Worse.
- India to allow the Trump administration to export some anti-malarial drugs.
- US threatens China not to ‘Exploit’ virus for sea disputes.
- Health Experts hoist Red Flags, Lockdown in India may continue.
- Donald Trump Warns to Put WHO Funding on Hold Amid Search For ScapeGoat.
- US COVID-19 Death Toll Jumps To 13,000 as Positive Cases Increased to 400,345.
Besides these actions, WhatsApp is working closely with NGOs and government organizations, including WHO and 20 national health ministries, to help people with the right COVID-19 information amid this pandemic.
The recent beta version of WhatsApp introduces a new feature which allows users to check any information carefully via a magnifying glass set right next to frequently sharing and forwarded messages. This feature is to allow them to ensure whether or not the information is true and also check the authenticity of the source.
“Your one step forward to double-check WhatsApp messages before sending can help curb the effect of coronavirus. This feature will be available on the next update. We will keep you checked on the next steps,” Said in a statement.
