WhatsApp prompts users to 'Share Joy, Not Rumours' once again

WhatsApp has recently launched its second leg of the campaign keeping the upcoming general elections in mind.

Keeping the upcoming general elections in mind, which are due in April-May, WhatsApp India has launched its second leg of the 'Share Joy, Not Rumours' campaign to encourage the responsible use of its platform. The first phase of the campaign successfully reached hundreds of millions Indians including both rural and urban areas, and WhatsApp is building on the campaign with a second round focused on supporting a safe election process.

In addition to the earlier TV, print and radio ads, this new "Share Joy, Not Rumours" campaign aims to educate people on the controls available in WhatsApp so they are empowered to stop the spread of misinformation. Available onYouTube, theshort online videos( available in the regional languages such as English,Gujarati,Hindi,Kannada,Marathi,Telugu,Bengali,Assamese) are a step by step tutorial on how to exit a group, block a contact and the significance of the forwarded label.

WhatsApp's digital literacy partners, including DEF and NASSCOM, will share these videos to grow awareness. The print ads are aimed to act as reminders on how to spot, verify and stop sharing of misinformation that can cause harmful outcomes during the sensitive period of polling.

Abhijit Bose, head of India, WhatsApp shares,“Proactively working with the Election Committee and local partners for a safe election is our top priority”, adding further, "Expanding our education campaign to help people easily identify and stop malicious messages is another step towards improving the safety of our users.”

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Soon, the first phase of the national education campaign of “Share joy, not Rumours” was launched, followed by publishing a white paper that explains how WhatsApp bans accounts engaging in bulk messaging and automated behavior to stay ahead of highly-motivated abusers. Most recently, a partnership with the NASSCOM Foundation was kicked off to train college students and volunteers on digital literacy with a focus on first time voters.