Whatsapp to introduce new tool to address fake news
According to reports, the new feature will help users identify suspicious links shared within the platform
July 09, 2018
Facebook-owned Whatsapp is reportedly working on a Suspicious Link Detection feature to curb spam messages from spreading on its platform.
According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp has begun testing the new feature as part of beta version 2.18.204 for Android.
The new feature will help users identify suspicious links shared within the platform while allowing the messaging app to automatically detect whether the link that a user receives is fake or spam.
The app will notify about the suspicious link with a ‘red label’ indicating that the link is suspicious. If the user decides to open the link, WhatsApp will push an alert again asking the user if they want to proceed, the report adds.
The blog post further added that every time WhatsApp analyses a link, it does it locally without sending any data packets to its servers.
Earlier this month, WhatsApp told Reuters that it was educating users to identify fake news as well as considering changes to the service with a public beta test in the works, that was working towards labeling any forwarded message.
Whatsapp recently came under fire in India, with false messages about child abductors on WhatsApp led to a series of lynchings and mob beatings across India in the past few months.
