WhatsApp imposes five-recipient limit on forwarded messages to limit 'misinformation and rumors'

All social networks and messaging tools have been used as platforms to distribute fake news. Companies have taken various steps -- such as introducing fact-checking -- to help curb these problems, and now the Facebook-owned WhatsApp is introducing new measures that limit the number of people users can forward a message to.

The company has previously allowed messages to be forwarded to up to 20 people, but now -- in a bid to limit the spread of "misinformation and rumors" -- this has been reduced to just five.

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This is not the first time WhatsApp has imposed stricter limits on message forwarding. Last year, a similar limit was introduced in India, but now the restrictions have been rolled out on a global basis, reports Reuters.

Speaking at an event in the Indonesian capital Jakarta today, Victoria Grand, vice president for policy and communications at WhatsApp said:

We're imposing a limit of five messages all over the world as of today.

The new restrictions come into force globally with immediate effect.

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