Mummy, Daddy, Uncle, Auntie! Stop forwarding the fake rumors.
People are relying on Whatsapp more than ever as most of the people unable to meet each other due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But this has also caused a new issue- false and fake rumors have spread at an alarming speed during this time.
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"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." --Statement from WhatsApp.
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And so, WhatsApp has imposed a new limit on messages forwarding to combat this spread of misinformation where users can only forward messages to one chat at a time instead of share with up to five chats at one time. Although this limitation may not completely prevent widespread forwarding, the company still hopes that it can slow the spread of fake news.
"We believe it’s important to slow the spread of these messages down to keep WhatsApp a place for a personal conversation." --Statement from WhatsApp.
After-all, the rumors are more dangerous than the virus as it will spreads faster than the virus, additionally, it will cause fear, panic or even disharmony among the public. Let's just hope that this new change will make progress toward the spread of misinformation.
Source: https://blog.whatsapp.com/
