New Delhi: As per new rules, Facebook-owned WhatsApp is limiting message forwards to five in order to fight “misinformation and rumors” leading to mob-lynching and other untoward incidents.
Previously, a WhatsApp user could forward a message to 20 individuals or groups. The limit of five has been put in place in India after the spread of rumors on social media led to mob lynchings and killing attempts.
Earlier, the app’s end-to-end encryption allowed groups of hundreds of users to exchange texts, photos and video beyond the oversight of independent fact checkers or even the platform itself.
“We’re imposing a limit of five messages all over the world as of today,” Victoria Grand, vice president for policy and communications at WhatsApp, said at an event in Indonesia.
Notably, WhatsApp has around 1.5 billion users worldwide. The company has been trying to find ways to stop misuse of the app, following global concern that the platform was being used to spread fake news, manipulated photos, videos without context, and audio hoaxes, with no way to monitor their origin or full reach.
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