#SochKeShareKaro: Mumbai Police teaches what not to share on WhatsApp
What's the story
The official Twitter handle of Mumbai Police has never failed to impress us with their witty and humorous civic lessons.
This time using a nerdy flowchart, and combining stern advice with some digital fun, Mumbai Police, in their latest tweet, has imparted a meaningful lesson on what not to share on WhatsApp.
What an innovative idea!
Tweet
'The ideal life of a WhatsApp forward'
Rampant rumor mongering through WhatsApp forwards leading to mob lynching has become a matter of concern in India since last year.
To this effect, Mumbai Police recently tweeted a flowchart titled, "The ideal life of a WhatsApp forward."
According to it, one should only forward WhatsApp messages after verifying that they are true and aren't liable to cause agitation or negativity among people.
Twitter Post
'When in doubt, #VerifyBeforeYouShare'
When in doubt, #VerifyBeforeYouShare #SochKeShareKaro pic.twitter.com/VzRgWjOfmh
— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) January 31, 2019
Reactions
Netizens agreed with Mumbai Police, appreciated their efforts
As expected, Netizens lauded Mumbai Police for their epic flowchart and efforts to teach people about not sharing fake WhatsApp forwards.
Many agreed with the police and one netizen wrote, "Very true. Every should filter the messages before forwarding. Good move by Mumbai police to educate everyone."
Another wrote, "Perfect message by @mumbaipolice for everyone..... Request everyone to please follow."
Rumor-mongering
WhatsApp rumors of a child-lifter resulted in a man's death
Last year, a rumor on WhatsApp about a child-lifter roaming around the streets was spread among many people in different states.
In July 2018, a man in Karnataka who distributed Qatari chocolates to children out of affection was brutally killed by a mob, who thought he was a child-snatcher.
Similar deaths were observed in Jharkhand, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Gujarat among others.
Action
WhatsApp limits forwards to only 5 chats per user
Due to the tragic incidents, the Indian government asked WhatsApp to take action over the fake messages.
In August 2018, WhatsApp announced that a user can forward any message to five chats only.
WhatsApp also launched an educational campaign regarding this to help users distinguish fake news.
The campaign included short videos in English and Hindi explaining users the importance of "forward" label.