WhatsApp introduces further changes to forwarding to control fake news

Last year, WhatsApp was in the news a lot for a host of wrong reasons mainly surrounding the lynchings that had been instigated by the spread of fake news. Since then, Facebook-owned WhatsApp has taken several precautionary measures to curb the spread of misinformation. WhatsApp had started limiting the forwarding feature to not more than five chats in India and now, this feature has been rolled out globally.

In a statement, WhatsApp states that they built it as a private messaging app - a simple, secure, and reliable way to communicate with friends and family. They’ve added new features and have been careful to try and keep that feeling of intimacy, which people say they love. A few years back WhatsApp added a feature to WhatsApp that lets you forward a message to multiple chats at once.

Now, WhatsApp is launching a test to limit forwarding that will apply to everyone using its app. In India - where people forward more messages, photos, and videos than any other country in the world – they will also test a lower limit of 5 chats at once and will remove the quick forward button next to media messages.

They state that with these changes which will continue to be evaluated will help keep WhatsApp the way it was designed to be: a private messaging app.

Speaking about the change, WhatsApp states, “WhatsApp carefully evaluated this test and listened to user feedback over a six-month period. The forward limit significantly reduced forwarded messages around the world. Starting today, all users on the latest versions of WhatsApp can now forward to only five chats at once, which will help keep WhatsApp focused on private messaging with close contacts. We'll continue to listen to user feedback about their experience, and over time, look for new ways of addressing viral content.”