WhatsApp is making viral content less viral to fight coronavirus misinformation

At a time when misinformation is rampant — from the supposed coronavirus cures to the “dangers” of 5G — major social media platforms are taking steps to keep it in check. 

On Tuesday, Facebook’s chat app WhatsApp announced it will start limiting the way viral messages can spread on its network.

WhatsApp already marks messages that were forwarded many times with a double arrow, so that the recipient can tell the message did not originate from a close contact. Now, WhatsApp will limit these messages so that they can only be forwarded to one chat at a time. 

“We’ve 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,” the company said in a blog post. 

WhatsApp also says it’s working with the World Health Organization and over 20 national health ministries to make sure its users have access to accurate information. 

WhatsApp first started limiting viral content in January 2019, when it limited the number of chats where a forwarded message can be shared to five, down from 256. The company says that the move led to a 25 percent decrease in message forwards globally, but it helped keep conversations on the platform “intimate.”

Other social platforms have recently implemented measures to prevent misinformation about the coronavirus outbreak from spreading. YouTube recently said it has begun reducing recommendations of conspiracy theories related to 5G and coronavirus, while Facebook is banning ads promoting coronavirus “cure.”

COVID-19 — the disease caused by coronavirus — has so far killed more than 67,800 and infected more than 1.2 million people. In the U.S., there have been more than 368,400 confirmed cases and 10,993 deaths.