In these times, hoaxes and false news multiply. WhatsApp's latest measure to combat them has turned against them with a hoax that is running like wildfire and that is completely false: WhatsApp is not censoring anything, only limiting the forwarding of messages. We explain everything below.
The first thing we have to make clear is that we are going to talk about two very different things, but that the hoax that runs through the internet and our WhatsApp mixes in a completely intentional way. On the one hand, the measure it has taken to limit the times a message can be forwarded to various contacts, and on the other, the verification of fake news.
Limit message forwarding
Some time ago the messaging application chose to limit the forwarding of messages to a maximum of five contacts or groups at the same time. It was a measure that was launched precisely for the same thing we are talking about today, the fight against hoaxes and false news, although it has really been of little use. That is why he has now chosen to go further and globally (I insist, worldwide) has limited the forwarding of certain messages to a single contact or group. What messages cannot be forwarded to more than one person or group? Those that have been forwarded many times, at least five times previously to you.
Look at the image, two messages that have been forwarded, but in one of them there are two forwarding arrows, in the other only one. The first has been marked by WhatsApp as a message that has been forwarded many times, the second no. That is why the first can not be sent again to more than one contact, and the second can be sent to a maximum of five. WhatsApp will also take into account if that message has been created by someone from your contacts to mark it in this way.
This measure has nothing to do with content checking, WhatsApp does not mark messages by their content, but only by the number of times they have been forwarded. It is also that he could not do it, because the content of the messages is encrypted, so WhatsApp does not know it. The application can limit a funny video of kittens, or a tweet with political content, simply mark it according to the number of times forwarded.
News Check
Related to false news but completely independently to the extent that we have commented before, Facebook (and WhatsApp) have begun to work with different entities around the world to facilitate the verification of hoaxes and fake news to users. In Spain, the two participating entities are «Maldito Bulo» (Maldita.es) and «Newtral» (Newtral.es), but you can see the complete list of entities from all over the world in this link to the WhatsApp website. How do these entities work? They cannot verify in any way the messages that you receive or that you send, because as I have pointed out before they are encrypted, WhatsApp does not know the content.
So that Newtral, Maldita or any other entity in the list can verify the veracity of the news or messages you receive you must add them to your contact list and forward the message directly to them, so they can know the content and check it, and they will give you the answer when they have done so. Obviously, this is something completely voluntary and always at the request of the user, I repeat, it cannot be done automatically with your messages because they do not have access to them. If you want to add them to your contact book, in the link I put before their phone numbers appear.
Let's stop fooling around
As you can see, two things are mixing that are related but are very different. On the one hand, the limitation to the forwarding of messages, which is automatic, on the other hand, the checking of news, which is always at the request of the user.. Lack of knowledge or bad intention has created a hoax about a measure that tries to combat them ... that's life.
