There isn’t a worse time to spread misinformation. Peeps need to know what’s going on it the world, and misinformation about COVID-19 can lead to people getting really sick. Which is why WhatsApp’s here to help mitigate the spread of misinformation.
Like the efforts to limit the spread of coronavirus, we need to limit the spread of bogus stories about the coronavirus (like this one). If you get a message that’s been forwarded more than five times, WhatsApp has ensured you’ll only be able to forward it to one person at a time. We feel like this is a good way to filter out the bad apples.
“We know many users forward helpful information, as well as funny videos, memes, and reflections or prayers they find meaningful… However, 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,” WhatsApp said in a blog post this week.
We already had some limits when it comes to the forwarding of messages — before this, you could only forward a message to five people at a time. The new limits should prevent even more folks from forwarding misinformed posts.
WhatsApp has also teamed up with health ministries across the globe to help spread correct information about COVID-19. You can add South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Disease’s WhatsApp support group to find up-to-date information on COVID-19.