WhatsApp to limit message forwarding to 5 chats in India
New Delhi, July 20 : As the government served WhatsApp with a second notice asking it to check the spread of fake and provocative content, the Facebook-owned platform on Friday said it is launching a test to limit forwarding that will apply to everyone in India.
"In India where people forward more messages, photos, and videos than any other country in the world, we'll also test a lower limit of 5 chats at once.
"We will also remove the quick forward button next to media messages," WhatsApp said in a blog post.
In its second notice, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) on Thursday said WhatsApp has been requested to come out with more effective solutions that can bring in accountability and facilitate enforcement of law in addition to their efforts towards labelling forwards and identifying fake news.
"It has been conveyed to them in unmistakable terms that it is a very serious issue which deserves a more sensitive response," MeitY said.
WhatsApp said that with new changes, which it will continue to evaluate, "will help keep WhatsApp the way it was designed to be: a private messaging app".
"We are deeply committed to your safety and privacy which is why WhatsApp is end-to-end encrypted, and we'll continue to improve our app with features like this one," it added.
In its first reply, WhatsApp wrote to the IT Ministry, saying the company is horrified by terrible acts of violence.
The IT Ministry had asked WhatsApp to ensure that the platform is not used for malafide activities over the growing instances of lynching of innocent people owing to large number of irresponsible messages filled with rumours.
WhatsApp, which has over 200 million monthly active users in India, listed several measures it is taking -- including labelling Forwarding messages -- to control the spread of misinformation and abuse on its platform.
Several people have lost their lives in the past one year by lynch mobs after rumours of child lifting triggered via messages on WhatsApp.
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Gruha Jyothi, drought in state contribute to 11.35 pc increase in power consumption in 2023-24
Bengaluru: The overall power consumption on domestic basis across Karnataka has increased by 11.35 per cent between August 2023 and July 2024, with all electricity supply companies (escoms), except the Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM), recording a rise of 10 to 19.75 per cent this year.
The power use has increased by 3.76 per cent within BESCOM limits, which includes not only Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts but also other districts like Ramanagar, Tumakuru, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Davanagere and Chitradurga in 2023-24, reports Deccan Herald.
The increase is being attributed to the extension in drought and high-temperature days in the state as well as to the implementation of the Gruha Jyothi scheme by the state government, as the number of beneficiaries has increased during said period by 7.13 per cent.
In contrast to the hike witnessed in the state this year, Karnataka had recorded a 4.64 per cent increase in power consumption in 2022-2023, as households had used 16,089 million units (MUs) in 2023-24, which was 1,263 MUs higher than the number of units consumed in 2022-23.
While the six escoms in Karnataka provides electricity to around 1.98 crore households in total, more than 1.69 crore users have enrolled for Gruha Jyothi. Of these, 1.6 crore users have availed of the benefits of the scheme.
The government had given a 10 per cent buffer on the average power consumption of 2022-23, for the households to receive zero-electricity bill, with Energy Department sources informing that the state government had predicted the power consumption in Karnataka to rise by 10 per cent at most, as compared to 2022-23.
The state government had, however, not allocated additional funds in the budget for the scheme, although it has been clearing escom dues regularly, a senior officer has said.
Another senior officer confirmed that drought and high temperatures have contributed to the increased household power consumption across the state. However with good rainfall this year, the power consumption could be expected to return to its average level, the officer added.
Low rainfall in the summer of 2023 had reduced the power supply in the state, forcing escoms to also reduce supply to irrigation pumpsets. Several areas in the state also used to report scheduled load shedding. There have been instances where the government has purchased power from private players and national grid at Rs 7.42 to Rs 10 per unit during peak season, said the officer.
The state currently depends on renewable energy sources, including hydro, wind and solar powers, to meet 63 per cent of its requirements.
