This archive report was first published on 1 October 2019.
Published on October 1, 2019, WhatsApp announced a new policy to limit message forwarding in an effort to prevent the spread of misinformation.
The company will block users from forwarding messages to more than five individuals or groups, a decision made in India last July where the country has one of the highest forwarding rates in the world.
India is WhatsApp's largest market with over 200 million users, and the action comes after a spate of mob killings across the country linked to inflammatory messages forwarded using WhatsApp.
According to WhatsApp's Head of Communications, Carl Woog, the decision to limit recipients of forwards to five was made to 'reach close friends while helping prevent abuse.'
Ranked as the most popular messaging app, WhatsApp has over 1.5 billion active users worldwide, with WhatsApp and Facebook being the most widely used platforms in Kenya at over 88%.
