Saima Ikram
In order to curb fake news, reduce misinformation, WhatsApp users can search Google when they receive forwarded messages by their connections. On Monday, WhatsApp unveiled a new feature that provides users with a way to search for news results and information.
In the new update, when a forwarded message is shared with the connections, a magnifying glass icon will appear near to the message. By tapping the icon, WhatsApp users can search the web. Users will be able to upload messages through the browser without even Whatsapp involvement thus ensuring end-to-end encryption as a user sends WhatsApp message to their web browser.
WhatsApp initially introduced restrictions on forwarded messages in 2018. Earlier this year, the company further tightened the grip and restricted frequently forwarded messages from being shared more than one connection at a time. Now with this new feature, users can check the facts about forwarded messages by performing a quick Google search and verify the news as correct or false.
The new feature is called “search the web” and will be rolled out in selective countries today including Brazil, Italy, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, UK, and US for both Android and iOS WhatsApp users.
