WhatsApp Curbs Message Forwarding in Bid to Deter India Lynch Mobs

WhatsApp Curbs Message Forwarding in Bid to Deter India Lynch Mobs
The WhatsApp app logo is seen on a smartphone in this picture illustration taken September 15, 2017. Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
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MUMBAI/BENGALURU—Facebook Inc’s WhatsApp is rolling out a global test measure to rein in messages forwarded by users, the messaging app said, after the spread of rumors led to several killings in India and sparked calls for action from authorities.

Violence triggered by incendiary false messages in India, WhatsApp’s biggest market with more than 200 million users, has spurred government demands to prevent circulation of false texts and provocative content and caused a public relations nightmare.