WhatsApp Introduces New Feature to Tackle Fake News
WhatsApp has introduced a new feature globally that will highlight when a message has been forwarded and not composed by the sender.
It announced the launching of the messaging application on Tuesday, In the statement through its official blog, following calls from various parts of the world, including India, to tackle the spread of fake news.
The statement reads: “Starting today, WhatsApp will indicate which messages you receive, have been forwarded to you.
“This extra context will help make one-on-one and group chats easier to follow.
“It also helps you determine if your friend or relative wrote the message they sent or if it originally came from someone else.
“To see this new forwarding label, you need to have the latest supported version of WhatsApp on your phone.
“WhatsApp cares deeply about your safety.
“We encourage you to think before sharing messages that were forwarded. As a reminder, you can report spam or block a contact in one tap and can always reach out to WhatsApp directly for help.”
NAN reports that recently, while replying a notice by the Indian government to take immediate measures to prevent misuse of its platform, WhatsApp revealed that it was testing a new label that highlights when a message has been forwarded.
“This could serve as an important signal for recipients to think twice before forwarding messages.
“Because it lets a user know if content they received was written by the person they know or a potential rumour from someone else,” it stated
WhatsApp recently announced “unrestricted monetary awards” for research on spread of misinformation on its platform to address the problem.