WhatsApp prevents limit on tool to forward message | Social networks

The WhatsApp team decided to modify the mechanism of forwarding messages, after a series of rumors, fake news and deaths recorded in India. This Friday (20), the chat application starts to impose a limit when the user tries to pass on a text, photo or video to other people or groups. Among the initial measures is also the removal of the button that gives quick access to the tool.

In the past few months, at least five episodes of violence have been recorded in Indian territory. More than 20 people were killed after false messages about alleged drug dealers who were said to be kidnapping and selling children. The messages were mostly disseminated through the application, which has 200 million followers per liter. In Brazil, WhatsApp is used by at least 120 million inhabitants, according to data released last year.

WhatsApp tests limits on message forwarding tool and removes button that gives quick access to the resource Photo: Thssius Veloso / dnetcWhatsApp tests limits on message forwarding tool and removes button that gives quick access to the resource Photo: Thssius Veloso / dnetc

WhatsApp tests limits on message forwarding tool and removes button that gives quick access to the resource Photo: Thssius Veloso / dnetc

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With today's change in the Indian market, users who want to pass on content to friends will have the option of forwarding it to a maximum of five people or groups. This limit did not exist until then. Messenger staff did not specify what will happen when a WhatsApp participant reaches the ceiling.

WhatsApp is more generous in the rest of the world, with a limit of 20 chats to which each content can be forwarded, as informed by the Brazilian team in response to the dnetc. The previous limitation would be more than 200 conversations, according to some foreign sites specialized in the subject. The information is not in the document released by the company, which is part of the Facebook business conglomerate.

According to WhatsApp, the changes aim to improve the security and privacy of users on a daily basis. "We believe that these measures and that we will continue to evaluate will be able to keep WhatsApp the way it should be: an app for private conversations", explains the messenger in a note.

Before the change, WhatsApp allowed to forward the same text, image or video to more than 200 conversations simultaneously Photo: Reproduo / Thssius VelosoBefore the change, WhatsApp allowed to forward the same text, image or video to more than 200 conversations simultaneously Photo: Reproduo / Thssius Veloso

Before the change, WhatsApp allowed to forward the same text, image or video to more than 200 conversations simultaneously Photo: Reproduo / Thssius Veloso

This is not the first initiative that the messenger takes to prevent the proliferation of false news by the application. At the beginning of the month, WhatsApp announced that it will offer 20 grants of US $ 50 thousand (about R $ 195 thousand, in direct conversion) for studies that seek to understand the phenomenon and to find alternatives without affecting users' privacy.

Other measures were taken after the announcement. One of the most recent updates, released on July 10, is the label that indicates when the message is forwarded or not. That way, the sender can certify whether that content is authored by the sender or not. In addition, WhatsApp tests a form of protection against malicious links, to prevent the proliferation of scams, as in the case of PIS / Pasep, with 100 thousand victims in less than 24 hours.

WhatsApp shows when message was sent Photo: Paulo Alves / dnetcWhatsApp shows when message was sent Photo: Paulo Alves / dnetc

WhatsApp shows when message was sent Photo: Paulo Alves / dnetc

WhatsApp also released a list with suggestions for users to keep themselves safer in the messenger. Among the tips are privacy settings, blocking unknown users, requesting account data, clearing conversations, disabling reading receipts, reporting spam messages, leaving the group, and two-step verification.

With information: G1 and Whatsapp

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