WhatsApp limits forwards to 5 chats for users globally to combat fake news
January 21, 2019  19:24
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WhatsApp will now globally limit message 'forwards' to five chats at a time, a practice it had introduced in India in July last year to crack down on spread of rumours and fake news through its platform.

In an update to its blog on Monday, the Facebook-owned company said the move will help keep "WhatsApp focused on private messaging with close contacts".

"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," it said.

It added that "starting today, all users on the latest versions of WhatsApp can now forward to only five chats at once...".

The messaging platform -- which has about 1.5 billion users globally and counts India, Brazil and Indonesia among its major markets -- said it will continue to listen to user feedback on their experience, and "over time, look for new ways of addressing viral content". Earlier, WhatsApp users could forward a message to 20 recipients.

A WhatsApp spokesperson said that during the test period, the company saw a 25 per cent reduction of forwarded messages being shared on WhatsApp.

"We believe this is a reasonable number to reach close friends, while helping prevent abuse," the spokesperson added.

The move comes at a time when governments and regulators across the world are looking at effective ways to curb the spread of fake messages through digital platforms.

In India, the Facebook-owned company had faced flak from the government after a series of mob-lynching incidents, triggered by rumours circulating on WhatsApp, claimed lives.

-- PTI
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