WhatsApp working on suspicious link detection feature to fight spam
What's the story
According to reports, WhatsApp is working on a new feature called "Suspicious link" to detect spam and malicious links that are shared on the platform.
The feature has been added to WhatsApp's latest beta version 2.18.206 on Android but beta users can't currently test it probably because it needs significant tweaks and improvements before being used by a large user-set.
Working
Taking on users who deliberately share malicious links on WhatsApp
This how the feature works: WhatsApp analyzes every message with a link that is shared on the platform and detects if it redirects to a fake website.
If a link is detected as spam, WhatsApp marks it with a red label.
If a user still tries to open the link, WhatsApp alerts them with a warning that it might be a "possible suspicious link."
Information
WhatsApp checks for unusual characters in links
Notably, WhatsApp analyzes the links locally on the device and does not send any data to its servers. Reports suggest that going forward, WhatsApp might also add the ability for users to manually report suspicious links.
Fake news
WhatsApp a major source of false and unverified news
Recently, WhatsApp has also been trying to come up with ways to curb the propagation of fake news on the platform.
Thus, it is possible that in future, the scope of the suspicious link detection feature is expanded to include that as well.
WhatsApp is also working with "leading academic experts" to come up with ideas regarding the elimination of fake news.