WhatsApp Limits Forwarding to Five Contacts to Fight Misinformation Campaigns
Rumors spread via the app in India led to killings and lynchings.
Reuters / Dado Ruvic
WhatsApp is limiting the number of times users can forward a message to five as part of its fight against “misinformation and rumors” on the messaging service. The rule had been trialed in India after WhatsApp was used to spread rumors which led killings and lynching attempts. But now users from around the world will be limited to five forwards, down from the previous limit of 20. WhatsApp will roll out an update to activate the new forward limit on Monday, according to the company's head of communications Carl Woog. “We’re imposing a limit of five messages all over the world as of today,” said Victoria Grand, vice president for policy and communications at an event in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on Monday. The service was also used to spread false information ahead of right-winger Jair Bolsonaro's victory in last year's Brazilian election. WhatsApp has around 1.5 billion users around the world.
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