WhatsApp update makes it more difficult to forward messages in attempt to stop spread of coronavirus misinformation

Feature intended to keep chat app 'personal and private', as well as limit hoaxes and rumours

WhatsApp has introduced major restrictions on the mass forwarding of messages in an attempt to stop the spread of misinformation.

Like other social networks, WhatsApp has seen a rise in users spreading hoaxes, rumours and other kinds of false stories about coronavirus and other news events.

Now it will stop messages being repeatedly forwarded on, in bulk, to groups. Instead, users will have to work harder to pass information on. If a message is being repeatedly forwarded, users will only be able to send it to one chat at a time, rather than five.

WhatsApp is also testing a feature that would display a small magnifying glass next to any such messages. Users will then be able to click that and be taken to a web search for the message, with the intention of letting them find articles that may debunk the message or shed further light on any claims found within it – and not forward them on if they find the message is not true.

The features are intended to stop users forwarding messages that have not necessarily been checked and are likely to include false claims. Not all of the messages are necessarily about WhatsApp, with prevalent memes such as the "Martinelli" video warning and fears around the "dance of the pope" surging in recent weeks as more users than ever talked on the app.

WhatsApp noted that mass forwarding can also feel "overwhelming" as well as helping spread misinformation. "We believe it’s important to slow the spread of these messages down to keep WhatsApp a place for personal conversation," it said in a blog post.

The app already marked messages that had been forwarded multiple times, adding double arrows to show that they had started life many messages ago, and that they "did not originate from a close contact". Doing so was intended to show that the messages "are less personal compared to typical messages sent on WhatsApp", it said.

But it previously allowed those messages to work like any other on WhatsApp, allowing it still to be forwarded onto groups in the same way.

Now any message that has picked up that symbol – by being forwarded five times – will only be able to be passed onto one chat. Previously, the limit was five chats at once.

That limit was imposed in January 2019, with the intent of "constraining virality". The number of forwarded messages dropped by 25 per cent after that, WhatsApp said.

A new blog post from WhatsApp made clear that the intention of the feature was not to stop all forwarding or viral messages, but that it hoped the changes would allow people to be more careful about what they share.

"Is all forwarding bad? Certainly not," it wrote.

"We know many users forward helpful information, as well as funny videos, memes, and reflections or prayers they find meaningful. In recent weeks, people have also used WhatsApp to organise public moments of support for frontline health workers.

"However, we’ve recently seen a significant increase in the amount of forwarding which users have told us can feel overwhelming and can contribute to the spread of misinformation. We believe it’s important to slow the spread of these messages down to keep WhatsApp a place for personal conversation."