Poynter Institute's new WhatsApp chatbot helps debunk COVID-19 hoaxes

Here's one debunked hoax from Poynter's WhatsApp chatbot

Poynter Institute, a non-profit organization that supports journalism, recently introduced a new chatbot on WhatsApp to debunk thousands of hoaxes about COVID-19. The bot relies on information from over 100 independent fact-checkers in over 70 countries, making it the largest database to debunk falsehoods about the pandemic (at least according to Poynter). At the moment, it is only available in English, but support for languages like Spanish, Hindi, and Portuguese is in the works.

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WhatsApp starts rolling out group video chats supporting eight users

We've already heard rumours that WhatsApp will be doubling the number of people you can video chat with on its service. But now we get confirmation from its parent company, Facebook. The messaging service has started rolling out the feature globally, allowing up to eight people on one call. The one advantage WhatsApp has over its competitors is that it comes with end-to-end encryption. This means "no one else can view or listen to your private conversation, not even WhatsApp," the company said in a blog post. 

Facebook itself has its new Messenger Rooms platform that will let you host up to 50 people in a call. But that doesn't have end-to-end encryption, so WhatsApp might become a go-to for those who want a more secure way to talk to other people.

WhatsApp will reportedly support 8 people for group calls

If the rumours are true, you might get to add double the number of people on WhatsApp group calls. According to a report released earlier this week, WhatsApp is looking to allow up to eight people in one group call. The feature is supposedly rolling out gradually as part of the latest iOS and Android beta updates. One of the caveats is that group members who aren't saved contacts on your phone won't be added to the call. And the participants need to have the most up-to-date version of WhatsApp to be able to participate in group voice or video calls. As CNET suggests, what you can do is open the calls tab in the app, select the call button and then hit "New group call." You can choose from there which contacts will be part of the call. 

WhatsApp fixes app flaw that showed private group invites on Google search

Jordan Wildon, a journalist from the German publication DW News, has discovered that Google was indexing approximately 470,000 WhatsApp group invites. These invites would allow anyone to enter a private chat group. WhatsApp has already fixed the flaw by removing the listings from Google as well as by adjusting the code related to chat invitation links. While most of the chats didn't have sensitive information, it was discovered that one of them was for NGOs accredited by the United Nations. Motherboard was able to enter the chat group and see all the 48 participants as well as their phone numbers.

According to WhatsApp, the links that showed up on Google search were those that were shared in searchable public channels. The Facebook-owned app wants to remind its users that they shouldn't share invitation links on publicly searchable sites. If you're going to keep your chat group private, make sure the participants won't share these invites in public spaces.