Mob lynching- that is the current crime in India. But more often than not the root cause of mob lynching is fake messages circulated via social media, particularly Whats App.
So how to fight this fake messages? With the help of the social media’s latest update the ‘Forwarded’ label.
Facebook-owned WhatsApp on Tuesday rolled out a “Forwarded” label feature to its 1.5 million monthly active users globally.
The new feature will indicate which messages are forwards.
WhatsApp went further and published advertisements in leading Indian newspapers.
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The move is WhatsApp’s first such effort to fight a flurry of fake messages that prompted mob lynching.
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 in some top English language-newspapers, part of a series that will also feature in regional-language dailies.
“We are starting an education campaign in India on how to spot fake news and rumors. Our first step is placing newspaper advertisements in English and Hindi and several other languages. We will build on these efforts,” said a WhatsApp spokesman
During the week, the company aims to publish similar advertisements in regional dailies across India, from the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan in the west to the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh in the north, according to the statement.
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