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Facebook considers Messenger restrictions

Facebook revealed it may impose message forwarding limits in its Messenger app to curb the spread of content, which can incite violence, duplicating a move...

Facebook

Facebook revealed it may impose message forwarding limits in its Messenger app to curb the spread of content, which can incite violence, duplicating a move it made with WhatsApp earlier in the year.

The company said in a blog post the change would prevent users from sharing duplicate messages beyond a certain number of chat threads. It added it tested the feature in Sri Lanka, but did not say when or where a broader rollout might occur.

VentureBeat reported the Sri Lanka implementation limited forwarding to five threads at a time, but allowed for an unspecified higher number of total forwards.

Facebook said the primary goal of the move is to thwart content, which encourages conflict. But it noted the change would also address feedback from users that they don’t want to receive chain messages.

In January, Facebook imposed similar limits on message forwarding in WhatsApp, as part of a broader crackdown on misinformation.

The company also highlighted its use of AI to remove hate speech from its platforms, and added it is exploring new ways to discourage borderline content, which it defined as material that approaches the boundaries of what is allowed under its policies.

It said such content is frequently “sensationalist” and has the potential to provoke “serious consequences” in regions already experiencing conflict.

Meanwhile, as part of its efforts to promote good health and well-being of children, one of Nigeria’s leading online Facebook communities and past winner of the Facebook Community Leadership Programme (FCLP), Ask The Paediatricians (ATP) Foundation, has concluded its first nationwide Children’s Day Community Medical Outreach programme.

Held with partial funding from the FCLP, a Facebook initiative established to give participants from around the world the support, tools, funding and the belief in themselves that they need to best lead their communities, the outreach which took place between May and June this year reached children in 33 states of the country and the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, touching 35 communities.

According to Founder/CEO, ATP Foundation and FCLP Fellow, Dr Gbemisola Boyede, most of the outreach programmes took place in carefully selected very indigent communities in each of the 33 States and the FCT.

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