The popular messaging app, WhatsApp, has been used to spread very serious fake news. Messages are swarming throughout India about child kidnappers and murderers. The news has anyone who doesn’t look familiar to villagers, under suspicion. Between the months of May and June, Mobs have killed at least six people, believing that they could be kidnappers and murders. As shown in the above picture, Rema Rajeshwar held a program to inform villagers not to believe the fake news they see on WhatsApp. “You see these messages, these photos and videos, but you don’t check if they’re real or fake, you just forward them," Rajeshwari says, “Don’t spread these messages. And when strangers come to your village, don’t take the law into your hands. Don’t kill them." According to Bloomberg.com, Rema’s awareness program has helped the 400 villages that she has spoken to so far. However, it is going to take time to get through to everyone. More than 200 million people in India use WhatsApp, sending over 13.7 billion messages daily. [ 1 image, 2 quotes, 1 link, 172 words]
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