WhatsApp building a New Feature Allowing Users to detect spam and fake news
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Facebook owned WhatsApp is testing a new feature that will allow a user to see how many times a message has been forwarded. The beta update to version 2.19.80 includes a new functionality allowing a user to view how many times a message he or she received has been forwarded. To obtain this information, the user needs to forward a received message, open up the Message info section, and the data will be there. A message that has been forwarded five or more times will receive a bubble that says “Frequently Forwarded.”
The number of times that a message you sent via WhatsApp has been forwarded is something that can already be found in the Message info section. If you install the beta version of the messaging app on your Android or iOS phone (via TestFlight) you will be able to see the number of times both a sent and received message has been forwarded. WhatsApp is adding this feature to help a user see whether a message is spam. Some messages that have been forwarded a number of times are spam, or might be “fake news.”
Facebook acquired WhatsApp in a blockbuster deal that closed in October, 2014. Originally valued at what was considered an outrageous amount of money at the time the deal was announced ($16 billion), by the time the transaction closed eight months later the purchase was valued at $21 billion.
Questions & Answers
Q.How can users find out how many times a message they received has been forwarded?
How can users find out how many times a message they received has been forwarded?
A.
Users need to forward the received message themselves. Once forwarded, they can open the Message info section where the forwarding data will be displayed for that specific message.
Q.What happens if a message has been forwarded five or more times?
What happens if a message has been forwarded five or more times?
A.
If a message reaches five or more forwards, a 'Frequently Forwarded' bubble will appear. This indicates the message has been shared extensively within the platform.
Q.Why is WhatsApp adding this new feature to its app?
Why is WhatsApp adding this new feature to its app?
A.
WhatsApp is implementing this feature to help users identify potential spam or fake news. Messages forwarded numerous times are sometimes associated with such content.
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