WhatsApp Tests Forward Messages Restrictions

The latest WhatsApp Android & iOS beta 22.7.0.76 is testing message forwarding restrictions to make it impossible to forward messages to several group chats at a time. The feature comes as a measure to resist fake news and misinformation spreading. 

No More Fake News? 

The new message forwarding restriction has been detected in the current WhatsApp beta on both iOS and Android by the WABetaInfo beta tracker. As we already know from this source, the feature blocks user attempts to share messages with more than one group chat at a time. Beta users see a pop-up note that highlights the new rule and offers to learn more on the matter. 

The company suggests that the limitation will reduce the spread of fake news and misinformation. Still, the beta restriction applies only to those messages that are already marked as forwarded. So, yeah, fresh messages can be forwarded the same way as before. 

The new feature is apparently a modification of the 2020 rule that limited the forwarding of messages that are already forwarded 5+ times. As for regular messages, they can be forwarded to up to 5 private chats at one time. 

Meta reported that the measure helped to party reduce misinformation, but users still can easily bypass the limit by copying the same text to a new message! So what’s the sake of these limitations then? Hopefully, WhatsApp has a convincing argument on that. 

Coming Soon

WhatsApp hasn’t commented on the update release date, but we expect it to come into force in a few weeks. What is your point of view on the upcoming restriction? Does it look like an effective measure against fake news or not? Let’s discuss it in the comments below and suggest options that could potentially work better. Share this piece on social media to know what your friends are thinking. More app news is on the way, so stay tuned!