WhatsApp is joining other social media giants in the fight against misinformation. The application, which is owned by Facebook, is now enforcing stricter limits on how users can share messages. The recent updates restrict messages from being sent to more than 5 WhatsApp groups at a time. The updates come after half a year of experimentation in India.
The news comes amid a torrent of controversies surrounding false information that has proliferated across social media. WhatsApp’s parent, Facebook, has come under fire over misinformation and trolling on the platform, as well as concerns over users’ data privacy. WhatsApp has come under fire as well, albeit for different reasons. A recent case of two Indian men being lynched after false reports that the two were child abductors caused widespread criticism. A similar, more recent case saw two Mexican men lynched over similar rumors that the two were child abductors from out of town. Other cases of mob killings have taken place across India, and the culprit has too often been fake accusations shared en mass via WhatsApp.
The recent measures taken by WhatsApp are expected to greatly slow the spread of malicious reports. WhatsApp isn’t the only messaging app under fire, as Telegram has also caught attention over concerns that the app makes it too easy for criminals to remain anonymous.
