If you are also annoyed with viral fake messages on WhatsApp, you will forward this news as much as possible!
“If you have a good heart, you will forward this to at least 20 people”. “Forward this message to 15 people to win a jackpot”. Sounds familiar? We all have received these kind of messages on WhatsApp one time or other. But WhatsApp has now decided to curb these fake messages.
According to the latest WhatsApp version, Individual messages can’t be forwarded to more than 5 people or 5 groups at a time.
WhatsApp, a Facebook-owned mobile messaging platform, announced it was restricting how many times any given message can be forwarded in an effort to boost privacy and security. This came a few months after reports surfaced in India about mobs killing 25 victims that were apparently tied with viral messages spread through WhatsApp. People would also regularly receive fake messages along the lines of predicted earthquakes, fake job offers, free airline tickets, and stories that generally cause false panic.
WhatsApp is used by billions of people around the globe and as a result, the messaging platform experienced a lot of spread of misinformation, mostly by offenders spamming WhatsApp accounts with hoaxes and fake news. Hence WhatsApp has taken a step to address the issue.
In July, WhatsApp rolled out safeguards in India that included limiting the number of users to whom a message can be forwarded. It also ran newspaper ads to raise awareness about fake news. WhatsApp said its latest move to extend the restrictions to all users came after a six-month review of user feedback.
Starting from today, all users on the latest versions of WhatsApp can now forward to only 5 chats at once. Previously, users could forward any given message up to 20 times on the app.
“Latest version of WhatsApp will help keep the app focused on private messaging with close contacts”, WhatsApp explained in a press release sent via email. “We will continue to listen to user feedback about their experience, and over time, look for new ways of addressing viral content”, it further added.
COURTESY :- NEWS BHARATI
