False doctor's advice on the measures to be adopted to protect yourself from the coronavirus, fanciful deconfinement card taken up without precaution in a television program, conspiracy theories of all kinds… as often in times of crisis, fake news abounds and, like the Covid -19, spread at an exponential rate, especially on social networks and instant messaging, involuntary vectors of foolish proposals and the wildest rumors.
Limited transfers for viral messages
To limit the proliferation of this false information, WhatsApp, instant messaging which now has more than 2 billion users worldwide, and observes a strong increase in traffic during this period of general confinement, decided to put a restriction on the dissemination of certain messages. These are messages transferred in large numbers, so it's not from one of your direct contacts. In the application, you can identify them by the double arrow visible next to the word "transferred". To limit their virality, WhatsApp only allows the transfer of these messages in one discussion at a time, and not in five discussions simultaneously, as was the case previously. The sending of forwarded messages, identified by a single arrow, remains limited to five simultaneous discussions, as had already been previously decided by the messaging service.
Claiming to work with WHO, NGOs and more than 20 health ministries around the world, WhatsApp has also launched a Coronavirus Information Center, aimed at promoting the dissemination of verified and verifiable information.
⋙ Containment: 6 tips for keeping in touch with isolated seniors
⋙ Here's how to download the travel certificate on your smartphone
⋙ Play Scrabble online: the best sites and apps