Facebook Inc.’s WhatsApp messaging service is making it harder for users world-wide to forward content, after the spread of rumours on the app led to mob violence and the killing of more than 20 people in India. False messages about roaming child-kidnapping gangs spread through WhatsApp—one of the most widely used apps in India with over 200 million monthly active users—triggered a spate of lynching as panicked groups attack strangers they find suspicious, Indian authorities have said. WhatsApp’s announcement came a day after Facebook said it would begin removing misinformation that could spark violence. WhatsApp has also published advertisements in major newspapers in India with tips for its users to help them decide “if something sent to you on WhatsApp is true.”

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Wall Street Journal