WhatsApp is introducing a new feature in their ever-growing fight against misinformation.
If a message is forwarded more than five times, the message will come with a double arrow next to it.
WhatsApp announced the new feature in a recent blog post. The new feature will be available on the app on both iOS and Android.
Basically, if you see a message that says it was forwarded multiple times, there’s a chance that it’s a spam message, and you should report the user. Obviously, if a trusted friend sent you an invitation and you see the double arrow, it can probably be trusted. Then again, that person might as well make a group message or a Facebook event.
Last year, WhatsApp fell into some hot water after people fell for a rumor they heard on WhatsApp, and lynched people they thought were child abductors.
Since then, WhatsApp developers have promised to do more to stop the spread of misinformation on the app. This new feature is definitely a step in the right direction. Although it still falls on the user to determine whether or not a message is malicious, the double arrow will be a nice warning sign.
