WhatsApp is doing its bit to curb fake news. Are you?

It's an important step that the app says was instituted after evaluating user-feedback over a six-month period.

Facebook-owned WhatsApp yesterday rolled out globally a restrictive feature that it had first introduced in India. The latest version of the app now limits the message forward feature to five contacts in one go - down from a limit of 20 users it implemented in July last year. This is in addition to the 'Forwarded' label that comes with such messages so users are conscious of the fact that it's a forwarded message and not confuse it with a first-hand missive. It says that the move "will help keep WhatsApp focused on private messaging with close contacts."
It's an important step that the world's most popular messaging app says was instituted after evaluating user-feedback over a six-month period. A limit was first introduced last year after fake mass forwards resulted in the lynching of five people in the Indian state of Maharashtra. In an age where social media-powered news goes viral in the blink of an eye, fake news and the spread of misinformation has become the bane of society. The problems associated with the spread of fake news not only damage credible news outlets but also result in a society where lack of trust results in several other deep-rooted complications.
And while messaging platforms and social media have an obligation to do everything they can to curb the spread of fake news, individuals cannot be absolved of the responsibility. We have to do our bit in curbing this menace. We all need to be a little less trigger-happy while forwarding and sharing random messages and news and must undertake at least a basic fact-check before sharing a plea for help, a call for action against the perpetrators of some crime or the news about public figures that could make or break their image. Let's flag fake news when we come across it and share responsibly. When it comes to fake news, not sharing is caring.