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But be careful, because when we talk about censorship we are referring to the limitations that Facebook, the owner of WhatsApp, has introduced for almost a month in the chat application. And it is not that it controls what content is shared and what is not. But the number of times it is forwarded Something designed to prevent hoaxes from spreading like wildfire from one chat to another. And, according to the numbers that Facebook has made public, things are working extremely well.
Thus, since April 7th, WhatsApp not only identifies messages that are shared more than 5 times to mark them as forwarded This is an issue that happens with both memes and hoaxes, and messages that are false and that are usually shared out of fear or compulsively trying to inform other contacts. Well, since that date, WhatsApp also prevents you from sharing this content marked as forwarded with more than one account. In this way, you cannot mark a string of chats and contacts to which to send the same message at once. A decision that before the end of the month is already offering results: Facebook assures that it has reduced the transmission of this content by 70% since it launched the measure , as revealed through TechCrunch.
A data collected globally and in just a few weeks since last April 7.So the more than 2 billion WhatsApp users worldwide are forwarding, and therefore receiving, fewer hoaxes, smear campaigns, fear campaigns , and other content that is not always true. Of course, we also run out of truthful information, memes and other quality content that is also massively forwarded.
However, WhatsApp has been fighting for some time so as not to become the platform used for hoaxes, lies and scams to spread. Proof of this is that, since 2018, there was already a limitation to massively share or forward content. And it is that the same message could not be forwarded to more than five people or groups at the same time. So it was necessary to share it in small groups or avoid doing it directly. With this, the traffic of forwarded content has managed to drop by 25% globally in the last two years
Hoaxes: a risk for citizens
Measures not only arise from Facebook. Different countries have asked those responsible for WhatsApp to work to limit the transmission of hoaxes, lies and scams. And it is that misinformation goes beyond altering things in the politics of a country. It is also posing a problem for public he alth. Proof of this is India, which last month asked WhatsApp and other social networks to prevent the spreading of hoaxes about cures for COVID-19 A trend that, beyond misinformation, it can incur dangers for the population by believing that there are cures for the disease. Or make the people to whom the message reached believe that measures such as making noise for five minutes or turning on oil lamps had scientific support.
Situations that continue to occur today in Spain as well, with messages loaded with hate or political content and untrue information traveling from contact in contact. In a climate in which misinformation meets people's desperation, in addition to fear of the pandemic.
Thus, Facebook-WhatsApp does its bit to try to limit the massive sending of any type of information. But it still does not limit or censor what is sent in each message. And it is that the platform cannot read or know the content, at most limit its diffusion, whatever the forwarded message says.
