One of WhatsApp’s biggest concerns is combating the large number of fake news shared on the platform. That is why the company is developing ways to reduce the spread of fake news. Find out how to check fake news on WhatsApp through the search feature implemented in the app.
How to know fake news on WhatsApp
When a message is widely shared on WhatsApp, it receives a tag with two arrows. This flag is a feature that allows the user to identify that this message has gone viral and has been shared by many people in the application. However, because of encryption, the application cannot analyze the content of the message and identify whether it contains something related to fake news.
To minimize this problem, WhatsApp developed the “Search on the Internet” feature and implemented a button with a magnifying glass icon so that the user can search directly on the Internet if the content of the message may be related to some type of false news or misinformation, without WhatsApp is aware of the content of the message.
To check for fake news on WhatsApp do the following:
- See if the message is labelled with two arrows;
- Click on the magnifying glass icon (on the right side);
![How to check fake news on WhatsApp [Search]](https://betechwise.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/how-to-spot-a-fake-message-on-whatsapp-1.png)
- The application will ask: “Do you want to research the subject on the internet?”;
![How to check fake news on WhatsApp [Search]](https://betechwise.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/how-to-spot-a-fake-message-on-whatsapp-2.png)
- Confirm and click search web;
- You will be taken to the Google search page.
The Google search screen will open with a few words that are in the body of the message.
Sometimes it is possible that the search will not find a specific result if the text of the message is too general or confusing, but you can change some words to better filter the search for a better result.
The search tool is available in the Android, iOS and PC / WhatsApp Web applications. It is important to remember that it is necessary to have the latest version of the application installed to use the feature correctly.
Using WhatsApp’s internet search tool can help people find out more quickly and simply if the content is fake and thus fight misinformation.
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