This new WhatsApp feature will alert you of ‘dangerous’ messages
With criminals and anti-social elements increasingly using WhatsApp to share fake through group chats, the company is planning to add in new features to check this misuse of its instant messaging app. The Facebook-owned chat platform is reportedly testing a new feature that will alert users of fake news that is forwarded in groups. Going forward, WhatsApp will automatically check the authenticity of the website links that are being shared through its upcoming ‘Suspicious Link’ feature.
How will the ‘Suspicious Link’ feature help you?
Once this feature is rolled-out, the moment you receive a link to a website on WhatsApp, the app will do a background check of the link to the website and will alert you if it finds something fishy. “When WhatsApp detects a suspicious link, the message is marked with a red label,” says a report in WaBetaInfo. The red label will indicate that either it’s spam or phishing link or is redirecting to a fake news website. Sometimes, third-party links can redirect to malicious website that download malware in the background.
The feature has been spotted in WhatsApp 2.18.204 beta version. We can expect WhatsApp to roll out this feature very soon. WhatsApp is trying hard to curb the menace of fake news being circulated on its platform for quite some time.
Here are some of the other steps it has taken till now:
*There is always the option to block people. It also prompts unknown senders with an option to either block or add the contact on WhatsApp.
* Feature to prevent users from from adding others back into groups which they left.
* Group admins can decide and even restrict other member from sending texts in a particular group.
* Demote group admins. With this, you can demote existing group admins to member status with limited rights.
* The “Forwarded” label feature allows users to know if the message has being written or forwarded. Courtesy: www.timesofindia.com
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Two die, six injured as wall of house collapses in Bihar
Aurangabad (Bihar) (PTI): Two persons were killed and six others injured after the wall of a house collapsed on them in Bihar’s Aurangabad district, police said on Sunday.
The deceased have been identified as Akhileshwar Yadav (55) and Satyanarayan Yadav (65), a senior officer said.
The incident took place on Saturday night when the people had gathered to watch a wedding ceremony in the Obra area, he said.
According to villagers, the wall of a house where the wedding ceremony was going on suddenly collapsed on them, Obra Police Station SHO Nitish Kumar said.
A police team reached the spot after receiving the information, the SHO said.
"Two died on the spot, and the six injured were immediately taken to the nearest government hospital. Their condition is stated to be out of danger," the station house officer said.
The bodies were sent for the post-mortem examinations, said the SHO, adding that the matter was being examined.
