By connecting their devices to the internet, people become part of a network consisted of billions of people.
Facebook is the largest social media in this network. It was only back in 2018 that its popular messaging app WhatsApp introduced a limit on forwarding messages to only five contacts at a time.
The company did that to limit the spread of fake news.
Theoretically, limiting the ability of users to forward messages should make it more difficult for fake information to spread and go viral, although clearly this isn’t a move that can end the problem altogether. But WhatsApp hopes that the limits imposed can slow down the viral impact that social networks have become known for.
And now, Facebook is bringing that limit to Messenger.
In a blog post, Facebook said that:
Facebook follows WhatsApp, knowing that "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."
This is true, considering that many people send messages without really checking for the facts.
As a result, misinformation, disinformation and malinformation can spread like wildfiire, and go viral in no time.
By limiting the number of message forwarding capabilities, it was observed that WhatsApp saw a 70% drop in these kinds of messages.
And this time, Facebook hopes that by introducing the same limitation, it can also slow down the spread of viral misinformation on its Messenger messaging app.
In short, Facebook wants WhatsApp, and now Messenger, to be a safe place and a "trustworthy platform" for users to connect with friends and family.
In the world where 'COVID-19' in still plaguing many countries around the world, the last thing most people want to hear, is misinformation, disinformation and malinformation.
By limiting forwarding to just 5, Facebook should be able to help Messenger's 1.5 billion users around the world.
The move also follows Facebook that has been repeatedly criticized for not cracking down on fake or misleading information on its platform.
The company said earlier this 2020 that it would allow political ads on its platforms no matter what, a risky move that in much unlike Twitter that plays in safer grounds.
Read: Dealing With Political Ads: Facebook Plays Hard, Twitter Plays Safe, Google Is In The Middle