It's been a long time since Whatsapp (owned by Facebook) is trying to fight against fake news also helping to find official information related to the Coronavirus-related health emergency. Thanks to the last beta version for android (2.20.94) a new feature has been unveiled that could be introduced in the near future.
WhatsApp: help to search the web for information
In the new Android beta version of WhatsApp you can find a new feature related to "web search". In particular, this novelty is designed to verify that messages containing frequently forwarded links are not fake news helping the user in the verification.
In the current implementation (not yet available for all users) it is possible to see a magnifying glass appear alongside the message that can be checked. At this point, clicking on the lens will open a message that reads "do you want to search it on the web? The message will be uploaded to Google". If the user will choose "search the web" a Chrome tab will open where the message text and search results will automatically be present.
In the intentions of Whatsapp this should allow users to avoid having to copy the message text or resort to longer manual searches. A little help in case you often receive dubious links that could hide incorrect or false information and consequently limit their diffusion.
As with other features already tested in the past by Whatsapp it is not yet clear when the "web search" will be officially available. It may only take a few weeks or months.
We also remember that Whatsapp, Facebook and Instagram have seen a significant increase in their use during the health emergency, with the messaging app that has recorded increases of 1000% in Italy, when it comes to video calls with more than three users.
