UPDATED 16:17 EDT / APRIL 07 2020

POLICY

Facebook’s WhatsApp limits message forwarding to combat misinformation

Encrypted communications app WhatsApp announced today that it’s limiting how easily users can forward messages in a bid to combat the spread of misinformation amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Last year, WhatsApp started displaying a double arrow icon next to messages forwarded more than five times as a way of distinguishing them in the app interface. Today’s update will limit users to posting such frequently shared messages to only one chat group at a time. WhatsApp previously made it possible to post a message to as many as five groups at once.

The update represents a small change to the user experience, but one that could have a substantial impact on how fast viral content and misinformation in particular can spread via the app. Last year, after reducing the number of groups to which users could forward a message at once from 20 to five, WhatsApp saw a 25% drop in global message forwards.

“Is all forwarding bad? Certainly not,” the company wrote in the blog post today. “However, 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. We believe it’s important to slow the spread of these messages down to keep WhatsApp a place for personal conversation.”

Besides taking steps to curtail the spread of misinformation, WhatsApp has partnered with the World Health Organization and over 20 national health ministries to provide health guidance for users. WhatsApp has also set up a Coronavirus Information Hub on its website, while the mobile app offers access to a chatbot called WHO Health Alert that provides data about the pandemic.

Users of other major social media platforms have seen changes as well in recent weeks. WhatsApp owner Facebook Inc. recently rolled out an international version of its social network’s Community Help tool that allows users to request help and offer assistance to others impacted by the pandemic. Google LLC’s YouTube is displaying information panels to help inform users about the coronavirus, while Pinterest Inc. has added a button for reporting false coronavirus posts. 

Photo: Christoph Scholz/Flickr

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