WhatsApp rolls out 'forwarded' label in UAE

WhatsApp advised people to exercise caution while sharing forwarded messages.

WhatsApp users in UAE will now know which messages they receive have been forwarded to them in the group or individually.
Taking cognisance of the misuse of its platform for repeated circulation of provocative content, Facebook-owned WhatsApp rolled out "Forwarded" label to its 1.5 million monthly active users globally.
Image via Twitter
While announcing the new feature on Tuesday, WhatsApp said this extra context will help make one-on-one and group chats easier to follow.
"It also helps you determine if your friend or relative wrote the message they sent or if it originally came from someone else," WhatsApp said in a statement.
To see this new forwarded label, the users need to have the latest supported version of WhatsApp on their phones.
"This could serve as an important signal for recipients to think twice before forwarding messages because it lets a user know if content they received was written by the person they know or a potential rumour from someone else," the company informed.
According to media reports, more than 30 people have been killed in the past one year by lynch mobs after rumours of child lifting triggered by messages on WhatsApp.
WhatsApp also advised people to exercise caution while sharing forwarded messages.

"WhatsApp cares deeply about your safety. We encourage you to think before sharing messages that were forwarded.

"As a reminder, you can report spam or block a contact in one tap and can always reach out to WhatsApp directly for help," the company said in the fresh statement.

WhatsApp on Tuesday published advertisements in key Indian newspapers to tackle the spread of misinformation.

"Together we can fight false information," read full-page advertisements, urging users to check information before sharing it.

• UAE