WhatsApp Search Feature Fights Fake News
The social network is piloting a new function that lets users verify forwarded messages via Google.
WhatsApp is making it easier to fact-check viral information. Four months after introducing a forwarding limit on texts, the social network is piloting a new feature that lets users verify forwarded messages via Google.
Up-to-date users in Brazil, Italy, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, the UK, and the US can look for a magnifying glass icon (which will appear to the right of forwarded memos) encouraging folks to authenticate articles before sharing them.
“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,” a WhatsApp blog announcement said. “This feature works by allowing users to upload the messages via their browser without WhatApp ever seeing the message itself.”
Click on the lens to launch a web search for the dubious information—for instance, that COVID-19 can be cured by drinking a bowl of fresh garlic water—to hopefully clear up any uncertainty regarding its accuracy. You can even return the favor by sending a factual link back to the person circulating what may turn out to be fake news.
WhatsApp in March launched the Coronavirus Information Hub, providing guidance for healthcare professionals, educators, non-profits, governments, and local businesses; it also offers tips for the platform’s two billion global users. The site, meanwhile, urges folks to think twice about the messages they receive and share; remember to always verify facts with official sources before forwarding them to someone else.
Go the extra mile by tapping into a joint chatbot from Poynter’s International Fact-Checking Network and WhatsApp: Save the number +1 (727) 291–2606 as a contact in your phone, then text the word “hi” to launch the free feature. You’ll be met with a short numerical menu; simply text a number one through six to navigate the system.
Originally published at https://www.pcmag.com.
