WhatsApp is used to spread fake news and the consequences are alarming

Fake news is a serious case and even Google comes trying to promote quality journalism. However, what to do about unconfirmed information (rumors) being circulated in the WhatsApp, for example?

Here in the Brazil, it is not difficult to come across copied chains and messages through groups. outside, the India, Kenya and even the United Kingdom are suffering the consequences brought by scattered messages without any kind of filter.

Two men were killed in India because of rumors circulating on WhatsApp

At the beginning of June, abijeet nath and Nilotpal Das were beaten to death by a multidao after stopping the car to ask for directions. The act, which took place in Assam province, in India, was triggered by rumors that claimed that people kidnapping children in the region.

“Residents of the region became suspicious of foreigners because, for three or four days, messages have been circulating on WhatsApp – and also by other means – about child abductors who usually act in this region”, Said Mukesh Agrawal, local police officer.

abijeet nath was a digital artist and Nilotpal Das was an audio engineer. And although they begged for their lives, the population simply directed all propagated hate for messages about them.

The situation is similar in other countries.

No Kenya, for example, group administrators WhatsApp are the ones that spread the most fake news (fake news) in times of elections. In this way, the most recent elections of the country were affected directly by the messaging service.

O Brazil is also not left out, since the WhatsApp was used to motivate you to not vaccinate against yellow fever. It seems surreal but videos and audio messages were shared so that the most unsuspecting could be easily persuaded.

This type of situation has been more frequent for a reason: people are using the WhatsApp as a news vehicle more frequently. The information is from Reuters Institute from the University of Oxford.

Also according to research of the institute, this increase is due to a migration of facebook news readers for WhatsApp. And therein lies the problem: WhatsApp has about 1,5 billion of users. Furthermore, unlike the Facebook, the messaging service allows greater privacy to discuss any and all matters:

“The reason people are going to these spaces is because they have more privacy. If you are in an authoritarian regime, you can use them to safely talk about politics – but they can also be used for nefarious means.”, Said Nick Newman, co-writer of the research.

What is being done to reverse the situation?

Therefore, it is extremely hard filter any type of message broadcast by the WhatsApp and other similar apps. That is, in the end, the solution to the problem is simply not believe at all what is shared.

Um app spokesperson states that efforts are being made to reverse this situation: “We've made it easy to block a cell phone number with just one tap – and we're constantly evolving our tools to block automated content. We are working to give more control to people in private groups, which remain strictly limited in size. We are also taking a step further when it comes to education, so that people know what each of our security features is for, as well as knowing how to spot fake news and pranks.”

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Source: The Guardian.

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https://www.showmetech.com.br/usuarios-da-versao-beta-do-whatsapp-estao-recebendo-atualizacao-com-chamadas-de-video-em-grupo/