WhatsApp Imposes New Limit on Bulk Message Forwarding to Slow Spread of Misinformation

[MacRumors]

WhatsApp today implemented new restrictions on the mass forwarding of messages in an effort to slow the spread of misinformation on the chat platform.

The new limits on bulk forwarding mean if a user receives a message that has been forwarded more than five times, they will only be able to send it on to a single chat at a time. The previous limit was five chats at once, which WhatsApp introduced last year.

Obviously the restriction doesn't completely prevent mass forwarding, but anyone wanting to do so now has to put a lot more repetitive manual effort into it.

The move comes after several hoaxes went viral on the platform, including false stories about the current global pandemic one of which linked the outbreak to the rollout of 5G networks. At least 20 mobile phone masts across the U.K. are believed to have been set on fire or vandalized as a result of the baseless theory.

"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," said WhatsApp in a blog post. "We believe it's important to slow the spread of these messages down to keep WhatsApp a place for personal conversation."

WhatsApp is also testing a feature that displays a small magnifying glass icon next to bulk forwarded messages. If users tap the icon they are sent to a web search for the message, with the intention that they'll be able to find articles that provide more information about the message or debunk it.

Article Link: WhatsApp Imposes New Limit on Bulk Message Forwarding to Slow Spread of Misinformation

 

[miniyou64]

Its so nice when corporations get to decide what and how people communicate

 

[JhnsSch]

Those people ere are true heroes, the amount of creativity and ingeniousness at work here - amazing!
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Its so nice when corporations get to decide what and how people communicate

Sadly people still don't see any issue with using WhatsApp - that attitude never having shifted at all, this truly continues to amaze me!

 

[ke-iron]

This has got the be the stupidest thing I’ve heard all year. So Instead of it taking 5 minutes to spam it will take 10 minutes. Bravo WhatsApp.

 

[Seanm87]

What if people want to spread info that is true?

WhatsApp need independent fact checkers like Facebook and instagram (supposedly) have. Social media companies need to do way more than they currently are. The amount of crap being spread around and everyone automatically believes it. Even people I know who I thought were smart are lapping it up. The masses are pretty gullible it seems.

 

[cableguy84]

I thought we were supposed to live in a “free” society

 

[sickoagb]

I thought we were supposed to live in a “free” society

Yes you live in a free society where you can choose which service you want. You are not being forced to use Whatsapp, and if their new rules are not for you you can freely move to another platform.

 

[TGM85]

This has got the be the stupidest thing I’ve heard all year. So Instead of it taking 5 minutes to spam it will take 10 minutes. Bravo WhatsApp.

Don't underestimate the sheer laziness of the average Joe or Jane - and especially the kind of person who believes that 5G is the cause of covid. Small barriers can have a big effect.

 

[DBZmusicboy01]

Yes you live in a free society where you can choose which service you want. You are not being forced to use Whatsapp, and if their new rules are not for you you can freely move to another platform.

Problem is that there’s not many real alternatives and I feel as if the world is turning into a communist poop hole. Where freedoms of speech doesn’t exist

 

[TGM85]

Problem is that there’s not many real alternatives and I feel as if the world is turning into a communist poop hole. Where freedoms of speech doesn’t exist

Freedom of speech means the government can't stop you from saying what you want, short of inciting actual violence.

Freedom of speech doesn't mean that I am legally obliged to sell you a megaphone.

 

[gnasher729]

I thought we were supposed to live in a “free” society

You live in the society you deserve.

The truth is that the 5G rumours are spread by the government - they are doing it to build a database of extremely gullible people, who will in the future be denied any medical treatment. Forward this to all your friends. 5G doesn't cause anything (and it is a physical impossibility) but spreading rumours could have disastrous consequences for you.

 

[haruhiko]

Haha... Freedom of expression in other countries should be absolute and any government that tries to fight fake news is oppressing people’s freedom and is authoritarian!*


*until that fake news spreads to our own country! Then we do the big brother to stop them.

 

[hagar]

You live in the society you deserve.

The truth is that the 5G rumours are spread by the government - they are doing it to build a database of extremely gullible people, who will in the future be denied any medical treatment. Forward this to all your friends. 5G doesn't cause anything (and it is a physical impossibility) but spreading rumours could have disastrous consequences for you.

The government doesn’t need such a database as 90% of people are gullible.

And if you’re an underprivileged person, or even lower middle class, in the United States, you’re already living in the reality of having a lot of medical treatments denied to you, or out of your reach.

 

[threesixty360]

Its so nice when corporations get to decide what and how people communicate

They make the product used to communicate. They have always decided the "what and the how". Unless you plan on using smoke signals or a megaphone ...

 

[NightFox]

What if people want to spread info that is true?

Then I'd imagine that information would already be being spread by more credible sources. Too many people these days seem to turn to social media as their primary source of information rather than official or credible channels. Whilst the latter certainly aren't perfect, they're better than people's misinformed opinion being spread as fact or "My uncle's a doctor and told me that..."
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Freedom of speech means the government can't stop you from saying what you want, short of inciting actual violence.

Freedom of speech doesn't mean that I am legally obliged to sell you a megaphone.

Yeah, I always find it amusing that the people who make the most noise about specific rights are the ones who least understand what those rights actually mean.

 

[bn-7bc]

Its so nice when corporations get to decide what and how people communicate

well a bletform opperater takes steps to limit miss information spred via ther platform in a global crises, I shuld blody hope so, the last thing we need is a cell network deteriorating because idiots set towers on fier due to som conspirecy about 5G spreading covid-19 (I kid you not). And if this is done with dissabeling or limiting the "send to all" well i think the added inconvinience might be a price we just have to accept. Ok the covid-19 via %G was extreme I could have picked another example but that was the frirst that came to mind

 

[JosephAW]

Does anyone still use WhatsApp? According to storage in settings haven't opened the app in 6 mo. All my friends have migrated away from it. Keeping it install just in case there's a few stragglers.

 

[Seanm87]

Does anyone still use WhatsApp? According to storage in settings haven't opened the app in 6 mo. All my friends have migrated away from it. Keeping it install just in case there's a few stragglers.

It has 1.5 billion active users. So yes people still use it.

 

[GeoStructural]

Does anyone still use WhatsApp? According to storage in settings haven't opened the app in 6 mo. All my friends have migrated away from it. Keeping it install just in case there's a few stragglers.

It has 1.5 billion active users. So yes people still use it.

WhatsApp is the most used messaging app in the world. I wish iMessage would incorporate some of WhatsApp features and become multi-platform, especially.

 

[DaPizzaMan]

What if people want to spread info that is true?

WhatsApp need independent fact checkers like Facebook and instagram (supposedly) have. Social media companies need to do way more than they currently are. The amount of crap being spread around and everyone automatically believes it. Even people I know who I thought were smart are lapping it up. The masses are pretty gullible it seems.

How could they fact check WhatsApp messages if they're encrypted?

 

[Johnny London]

A bad move. As a society we should aim for education, not limitation. Private companies sadly believe they know what is good for us. Time to abandon Whatsapp.

By the way, thanks author for not using the „limitation on political issues“ here

 

[Emanuel Rodriguez]

What if people want to spread info that is true?

WhatsApp need independent fact checkers like Facebook and instagram (supposedly) have. Social media companies need to do way more than they currently are. The amount of crap being spread around and everyone automatically believes it. Even people I know who I thought were smart are lapping it up. The masses are pretty gullible it seems.

On both sides. Saw a news story where someone who is not connected to politics in any way, and thus isn't PRSI related, has economic interests in hydroxychoriquin. The problem? All the news story mentions is that his family and some drug company are both players in a mutual fund. A complete non-event, and yet the title made it sound like a much bigger issue than it was.

You better believe many people only read the titles. Fake news is a huge problem throughout the media.

 

[Rainshadow]

Then I'd imagine that information would already be being spread by more credible sources. Too many people these days seem to turn to social media as their primary source of information rather than official or credible channels. Whilst the latter certainly aren't perfect, they're better than people's misinformed opinion being spread as fact or "My uncle's a doctor and told me that..."
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Yeah, I always find it amusing that the people who make the most noise about specific rights are the ones who least understand what those rights actually mean.

Bravo on both counts! Couldn’t have said it better myself. Whenever I hear someone say, “I know my rights!” I immediately know that they almost certainly don’t.

 

[Emanuel Rodriguez]

Bravo on both counts! Couldn’t have said it better myself. Whenever I hear someone say, “I know my rights!” I immediately know that they almost certainly don’t.

People are often the most certain about things they know the least about. It's an interesting phenomenon, which unfortunately we've probably all fallen victim to at one point or another. The key is to be aware of it, and ask yourself: "Do I really know anything about that?"

 

[Seanm87]

How could they fact check WhatsApp messages if they're encrypted?

Good point didn't think of that