How WhatsApp plans to curb fake news
Facebook-owned firm introduces message forwarding limit following mob lynchings in India
WhatsApp is making drastic changes to its massage forwarding features in a bid to stop fake news being spread on its platform.
The announcement comes after the Indian government yesterday blamed fake news going viral for a recent spate of mob violence. The lynchings have claimed the lives of least 18 people in India since April, the BBC reports.
In a bid to tackle the problem, users of the free chat app in India will only be able to forward messages to five groups at a time, making it more difficult to spread spurious stories and videos, The Independent reports. The country is not only WhatsApp’s biggest market but also, until now, the nation where users use the forwarding tool most.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In the rest of the world, people will be limited to sending messages on to 20 groups. The forwarding limit for all countries was previously 250 groups.
The “quick forward” button, which allows users to instantly share videos and images, has also been scrapped in India.
Indian authorities threatened to take legal action unless the Facebook-owned company made changes to its service in the wake of the recent lynchings. The violence has been linked to false stories of child kidnappings that quickly spread via message forwarding on WhatsApp.
The firm’s end-to-end encryption, a security system that hides a user’s identity and messages from potential hackers, has made it difficult for authorities to track down those spreading fake news on the app, says Business Insider.
In a blog post yesterday, WhatsApp said: “We believe that these changes - which we'll continue to evaluate - will help keep WhatsApp the way it was designed to be: a private messaging app.”
The company has also bought “full-page newspaper ads” in India to warn users about spreading fake news stories, adds TechCrunch.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
7 beautiful towns to visit in Switzerland during the holidays
The Week Recommends Find bliss in these charming Swiss locales that blend the traditional with the modern
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Werewolf bill
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
'This needs to be a bigger deal'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
How cybercriminals are hacking into the heart of the US economy
Speed Read Ransomware attacks have become a global epidemic, with more than $18.6bn paid in ransoms in 2020
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Language-learning apps speak the right lingo for UK subscribers
Speed Read Locked-down Brits turn to online lessons as a new hobby and way to upskill
By Mike Starling Published
-
Brexit-hobbled Britain ‘still tech powerhouse of Europe’
Speed Read New research shows that UK start-ups have won more funding than France and Germany combined over past year
By Mike Starling Published
-
Playing Cupid during Covid: Tinder reveals Britain’s top chat-up lines of the year
Speed Read Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Dominic Cummings among most talked-about celebs on the dating app
By Joe Evans Last updated
-
Brits sending one less email a day would cut carbon emissions by 16,000 tonnes
Speed Read UK research suggests unnecessary online chatter increases climate change
By Joe Evans Published
-
Reach for the Moon: Nokia and Nasa to build 4G lunar network
Speed Read Deal is part of the US space agency’s plan to establish human settlements on the lunar surface
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
iPhone 12 launch: what we learned from the Apple ‘Hi, Speed’ event
Speed Read Tech giant unveils new 5G smartphone line-up
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
Russian agency behind US election meddling ‘created fake left-wing news site’
Speed Read Facebook says real reporters were hired by fake editors to write about US corruption
By Holden Frith Published