Just like other unusual situations, the discovery and spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19) gave rise to a lot of disinformation, whether it is linked to 5G or getting fake or miracle treatments.

The social networks now have a great task and an important role in the curbing of these fake news which has recently be leading to terrible actions. In the U.K, for example, several 5G structures have been set on fire by activists who believed that the 5G equipment contributes to the spread of the virus. Whether on the initiative of governments or on their own, some social platforms are taking steps to stem this flow of false information.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp War Against False News

WhatsApp is one of the most common tools to spread fake news in this very special type of situation. The Facebook-owned messaging app is currently working on a new feature, which will launch in the few coming days. This would aim to prevent the excessive transfer of the same message.

More particularly, WhatsApp said it would be impossible to forward a message five or more times to its contacts. If the user wants to exceed this limit, he will not be able to transfer the content to more than one contact at a time.

Is all forwarding bad? Certainly not,” the company wrote in a blog post today.

“However, we’ve seen a significant increase in the amount of forwarding. The users have told us they feel overwhelming and can contribute to the spread of misinformation. We believe it’s important to slow the spread of these messages down to keep WhatsApp a place for personal conversation.”

This is not the first time that WhatsApp has tightened its measures with regard to the massive dissemination of information around the world. The platform therefore regularly announces new features aimed at reducing the mass sharing of fake news. However, we will keep you updated with the news regarding these measures.

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