WhatsApp Implements New Fact Check Feature Aimed At Widely Shared Messages

Daniyal Sohail Published August 04, 2020 | 11:35 PM

The popular mobile messaging application WhatsApp has launched a new fact check feature that can be used to assess the reliability of widely shared information, the Facebook-owned service said in a blog post

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th August, 2020) The popular mobile messaging application WhatsApp has launched a new fact check feature that can be used to assess the reliability of widely shared information, the Facebook-owned service said in a blog post.

"Today, we're piloting a simple way to double check these messages by tapping a magnifying glass button in the chat. Providing a simple way to search messages that have been forwarded many times may help people find news results or other sources of information about content they have received," WhatsApp wrote.

According to the company, the feature is being rolled out initially in the UK, US, Spain, Mexico, Ireland, Italy, and Brazil in order to tackle disinformation and fake news. WhatsApp said that the feature will allow users to check information via their browser, which means that the service does not see the content of the message.

WhatsApp, which has more than two billion users worldwide, has faced issues tackling disinformation due to the service's end-to-end encrypted network that ensures users' privacy.