Covid-19: WhatsApp limits message forwarding to slow spread of coronavirus misinformation

WhatsApp, which has more than two billion users worldwide, said in a blog post it made the change after observing a 'significant increase' in the number of forwards since the start of the coronavirus crisis. — Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook Inc's WhatsApp tightened message forwarding limits on Tuesday, restricting users to sharing forwarded content one chat at a time after a jump in messages touting bogus medical advice since the start of the coronavirus crisis.

The pandemic, which has killed more than 70,000 people worldwide, has been accompanied by what the World Health Organisation (WHO) has called an "infodemic" of misinformation, prompting governments and other authorities to urge social media companies to do more to combat the problem.