As a part of our ongoing efforts to provide people with a safer, more private messaging experience, Facebook has introduced a forwarding limit on Messenger, so messages can only be forwarded to five people or groups at a time. Limiting forwarding is an effective way to slow the spread of viral misinformation and harmful content that has the potential to cause real-world harm.
Facebook believes that controlling the spread of misinformation is critical as the global COVID-19 pandemic continues as well as due to the major elections in the US, New Zealand and other countries.
“We’ve taken steps to provide people with greater transparency and accurate information. Our Coronavirus (COVID-19) Community Hub gives people access to up-to-date information and resources designed to help them stay safe. And our Voting Information Center and voter registration notifications ensure people know how to register to vote and encourage them to make their voices heard. We are introducing a forwarding limit on Messenger to help curb the efforts of those looking to cause chaos, sow uncertainty or inadvertently undermine accurate information,” said Jay Sullivan, Director of Product Management, Messenger Privacy and Safety.
In order to make Messenger a safe and trustworthy platform to connect with friends and family, Facebook had recently introduced features like safety notifications, two-factor authentication, and easier ways to block and report unwanted messages. “This new feature provides yet another layer of protection by limiting the spread of viral misinformation or harmful content, and we believe it will help keep people safer online,” added Jay Sullivan.
Last month, the Mark Zuckerberg social media giant had announced that Facebook News will also be introduced in the UK, Germany, France, India and Brazil within the next six months to a year. In each country, Facebook will pay news publishers to ensure their content is available in the new product.
“Consumer habits and news inventory vary by country, so we’ll work closely with news partners in each country to tailor the experience and test ways to deliver a valuable experience for people while also honoring publishers’ business models,” said Campbell Brown, VP, Global News Partnerships.
However, Facebook asserted that it will continue to focus on the growing engagement of Facebook News in the US and is committed to the partnerships that it had developed with US publishers to make Facebook News a valuable asset over the long term.
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