WhatsApp says it will make changes to the way its messaging system works in an effort to curb the spread of fake news around the coronavirus.<\/p>\n
The group said in a statement on Tuesday (7 April), that this will include limitations on the number of times that a message can be forwarded to other contacts.<\/p>\n
“Last year we introduced users to the concept of messages that have been forwarded many times,” it said.<\/p>\n
“These messages are labelled with double arrows to indicate they did not originate from a close contact. In effect, these messages are less personal compared to typical messages sent on WhatsApp. We are now introducing a limit so that these messages can only be forwarded to one chat at a time.”<\/p>\n
WhatsApp noted that it has previously set limits on forwarded messages to constrain virality, which led to a 25% decrease in message forwards globally at the time.<\/p>\n
It said that while the forwarding of messages is not ‘bad’ it has seen a significant increase in the amount of forwarding which users said can feel ‘overwhelming’ and can contribute to the spread of misinformation.<\/p>\n
“We believe it\u2019s important to slow the spread of these messages down to keep WhatsApp a place for personal conversation,” it said.<\/p>\n
“In addition to this change, we are working directly with NGOs and governments, including the World Health Organization and over 20 national health ministries, to help connect people with accurate information.<\/p>\n
“Together these trusted authorities have sent hundreds of millions of messages directly to people requesting information and advice,” WhatsApp said.<\/p>\n