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WhatsApp has become the preferred text messaging application for billions of people around the world. With so many people using it as their main source of information sharing, it's not surprising that there is a fair amount of fake news that the app spreads. Such cases are not uncommon for any social platform, but in a global pandemic like the one we are going through right now, misinformation could easily escalate to the point where it becomes a matter of life and death. . Well aware of its influence, WhatsApp has taken active steps to minimize these half-truths. Here are the biggest changes to the app that should go a long way in curbing the spread of fake news.
Message transfer limits
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(Image credit: Future) A lack of vigilance before transmitting received information often acts as the spark for a message to go viral. To slow this down, WhatsApp has made a change that will affect "frequently forwarded messages" (messages that have been forwarded more than five times). Going forward, users will only be able to forward these messages once, compared to the previous limit of five chats at a time. The company hopes this will discourage blind transfer on a larger scale. In theory, users can still broadcast the message to more people, just the process won't be as simple as before. As always, non-original messages will still have a "forwarded" label to remind users.
Official government updates
Share correct information, avoid the wrong panic. Here is an effort by WhatsApp and @mygovindia to ensure you receive accurate and verified information about Coronavirus. Click this link https://t.co/REabfIp5QT or text Hello to +919013151515. #IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/0maqUE3PvG21 March 2020 The Indian government also fulfills its role by acting as an official resource for all updates related to COVID-19. A MyGov Corona Helpdesk chatbot has been created, accessible via WhatsApp. It offers emergency contacts, symptoms and other documents, many tips on how to be safe, information from doctors, etc. The latest updates on the number of cases detected in the country can also be found on a daily basis. In addition, official alerts from the authorities and clarifications on current issues are also shared. It is a comprehensive offering that is easy to use and brings a lot of accurate information at your fingertips. The World Health Organization also offers a similar chatbot, which shows a more global perspective on the current scenario, as well as research breakthroughs and updates on the progress made in the fight against the virus.
Authenticity verification from the application
WhatsApp also seeks to educate users and encourage them to verify the information received, as a first line of defense. A feature due to be implemented soon will allow users to search for information about a particular app message with a single click. According to WABetaInfo, the ability to "search the web for a message" will be coming in the next 2.20.94 beta. Frequently transmitted messages will have the ability to search for information, where a Google window will appear, to quickly verify the information. Other social media apps like YouTube and Facebook's Instagram have been actively working to thwart the spread of coronavirus stories on their feeds. However, this is not really possible on WhatsApp because the messaging app is end-to-end encrypted. Therefore, the texts cannot be seen by anyone else (including WhatsApp or a third-party fact-checking institute). Therefore, although in theory it offers a higher level of confidentiality, content moderation is almost impossible. In special times like these, all users need to be proactive in sharing the right knowledge and rooting out misinformation. If you ever see a message that doesn't look right to you, please do your best to notify the sender. The fight is also against misinformation and panic, which can affect many more people than the virus itself.