WhatsApp has begun implementing sweeping changes to the popular app one of which will see ads showing on the app. Earlier on, the Facebook-owned company rolled out a new feature to limit forwarded messages to only one contact at a time. This move was aimed at reducing the spread of misinformation on the app especially in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
Interesting, WhatsApp has now announced that this new feature has already achieved tremendous impact in just two weeks. An official statement revealed that there was a 70% reduction in the number of highly forwarded messages. The statement reads;
“WhatsApp is committed to doing our part to tackle viral messages. We recently introduced a limit to sharing “highly forwarded messages” to just one chat. Since putting into place this new limit, globally there has been a 70% reduction in the number of highly forwarded messages sent on WhatsApp. This change is helping keep WhatsApp a place for personal and private conversations”.
The policy considers any message forwarded more than five times as a “highly forwarded” message.
It may be difficult to track how this new measure will help in mitigating the read of fake news and misinformation globally through the app due to the app’s end-to-end encryption on cheats. However, the reduction in the number of recipients might discourage some from attempting to make false information or fake news go viral since they can send to more than one person at a time.
