WhatsApp is limiting the number of times a user can forward a message to five, as part of a global effort to combat “misinformation and rumors,” it announced today.
The news: The messaging app, which is owned by Facebook, previously let users forward a message on to 20 individuals or groups. However, it’s cracking down on the practice after forwarding was blamed for helping spread misinformation that led to vigilante killings in India, according to Wired.
Ironically: One of the features that many users like about WhatsApp—the fact that it’s end-to-end encrypted—is also the very reason the company cannot control what’s shared. This is an attempt to slow down the flow of misinformation, even if it can’t be stopped entirely.
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