In an effort to keep private conversations as private as possible on social media, WhatsApp announced on April 7 that they will be introducing a new feature to limit the number of times a message, that isn’t from a close contact, can be forwarded.
The feature will allow users to only forward messages one chat at a time.
Last year, the private-messaging social media company, which is owned by Facebook, introduced the double arrow to let users know the message had been forwarded from someone that was not a close contact.
According to the company, people have been using WhatsApp in the past weeks to “organize public moments of support for frontline health workers.”
“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,” said the company’s statement, adding that slowing down the messages can “keep WhatsApp (as) a place for personal conversation.”
When the company tested the message-limiting feature, they saw a 25-per-cent decrease in messages forwarded globally.
WhatsApp is also working with non-profit organizations and governments, including the World Health Organization and other national health ministries, to help “connect people with accurate information.”
