WhatsApp is going to block you from sending some texts to kill spam

WHATSAPP will intentionally block you from forwarding messages that have been passed on too many times.

The company is launching the new feature in a bid to tackle the spread of fake news, spam and general hoaxes through the chat app.

The Facebook-owned messaging service has been blamed for the spread of misinformation – which has even led to killings in India.

In response, WhatsApp started warning users if a text message has been forwarded earlier this month.

But it's now going one step further, and will limit the number of times a message can be forwarded on.

"We believe that these changes – which we'll continue to evaluate – will help keep WhatsApp the way it was designed to be: a private messaging app," the company explained.

For most of the world, the forwarding cap will be set at 20.

And for India specifically – where WhatsApp hoaxes are a major scandal, and more people forward texts than anywhere else in the world – the limit will be lowered to just five forwards.

Once the cap is reached, people would have to manually prepare the message again to be passed on.

This might make them stop and think about their actions, rather than mindlessly forwarding it on to their mates.

There's no guarantee it will work, of course.

"We built WhatsApp as a private messaging app – a simple, secure, and reliable way to communicate with friends and family," WhatsApp explained.

"And as we've added new features, we've been careful to try and keep that feeling of intimacy, which people say they love."

It added: "We are deeply committed to your safety and privacy."

Fake news is particularly trick to handle on WhatsApp.

Unlike Facebook or Twitter, hoax messages spread privately, and can't easily be scrutinised by anyone – WhatsApp included.

Part of the problem is that not only are WhatsApp messages private from the world, but they're also encrypted.

That means even WhatsApp itself can't read the messages you send – making killing fake news very difficult.

Brits recently saw a major hoax spread through WhatsApp, when a fake story about an imminent divorce announcement from David and Victoria Beckham spread on the app like wildfire.

The star couple denied the rumours, but it didn't stop gullible Brits passing on the fraudulent messages to all their mates.

A London PR worker is under investigation over the incident, after it emerged she'd helped spread false gossip.

It's not believed that the girl, who worked for public relations agency The Communications Store, started the rumour – but screenshots of messages sent using her work email were widely circulated over WhatsApp.

In India, it's a matter of life and death.

The nation has seen a recent surge in mob-killings of innocent people due to WhatsApp hoax messages.

India's Information Technology Ministry outright blamed Facebook and WhatsApp for the incidents.

"Instances of lynching of innocent people have been noticed recently because of large number of irresponsible and explosive messages filled with rumours and provocation are being circulated on WhatsApp," it read.

"The unfortunate killing in many states such as Assam, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tripura and west Bengals are deeply painful and regrettable."

The ministry added that WhatsApp "cannot evade accountability and responsibility", warning over how the app is being "abused by some miscreants who resort to provocative messages, which lead to spread of violence".

"The Government has also conveyed in no uncertain terms that WhatsApp must take immediate action to end this menace and ensure that their platform is not used for such malafide activities," it added.

Read about how voice messages are replacing texts on WhatsApp and iMessage.

And find out why the EU's Google crackdown will affect anyone buying an Android phone.

If you're an Instagram addict, you might not like the company's most recent update.

Do you think WhatsApp's latest ploy to kill spam and fake news will work? Is it even a good idea? Let us know in the comments!

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.