iWorld
WhatsApp launches ‘Check the Facts’ campaign
Mumbai: WhatsApp has launched an integrated safety campaign ‘Check the Facts’ in an effort to drive user-awareness around WhatsApp’s safety features and promote digital best practices that help prevent the spread of misinformation on the platform and empower people to take control of their messaging experience.
The month-long campaign highlights WhatsApp’s in-built product features and safety tools like block and report, forward labels that equip users to spot misinformation and prevent its spread further, and encourages people to verify information that sounds suspicious or inaccurate via fact-checking organisations on WhatsApp Channels. More details on the safety campaign can be found here: https://blog.whatsapp.com/check-the-facts
While there is no single action that can help prevent the spread of misinformation and fake news online, WhatsApp’s ‘Check the Facts’ campaign serves as a simple safety guide to fight misinformation.
1. Understand when a message is forwarded
WhatsApp has created a label for all forwarded messages and limits the number of times you can forward messages as a way to encourage users to reconsider before sharing. Paying careful attention to messages with “forward labels” also helps slow down the spread of rumours, viral messages, and fake news. For example, if a message has a double arrow icon and is labeled “forwarded many times,” it can only be forwarded to one chat at a time. If a message has a “forwarded label” you can forward it to up to five chats and only one group at a time.
2. Block and report suspicious accounts
WhatsApp provides a simple way for users to block accounts and make reports to WhatsApp if they encounter problematic messages, including those spreading misinformation. If you receive a message from an unknown sender, WhatsApp provides users the option to block them, with additional details such as groups in common, along with safety tools if you need to take action.
3. Follow fact-checking organisation on WhatsApp Channels for accurate information
WhatsApp encourages users to double-check information that sounds suspicious or inaccurate – this is key to preventing the spread of misinformation. WhatsApp has partnered with 10 independent fact-checking organisations that help users to verify information in 13 languages. People can follow dedicated fact-checking organisations on WhatsApp Channels to receive verified and accurate updates.
The fact-checking channels available include:
Boom Fact-Check
Fact Crescendo
Factly
India Today Fact Check
Newschecker
NewsMobile
Webqoof
The Healthy Indian Project
Vishvas News
NewsMeter FactCheck
e-commerce
American Express to acquire AI startup Hyper to boost automation
Deal targets expense management as AI reshapes corporate spending tools.
MUMBAI: From receipts to robots, the expense sheet is getting a brain upgrade as American Express moves to bring artificial intelligence into the heart of corporate spending. The company has announced plans to acquire Hyper, a relatively young but fast-rising startup founded in 2022 that builds AI-powered agents capable of organising expenses, generating reports, verifying compliance with budgets and policies, and nudging users with timely reminders. The deal, expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, underscores a growing shift among financial institutions to automate traditionally manual, time-heavy workflows.
Hyper counts Sam Altman among its backers, adding a layer of Silicon Valley credibility to the acquisition. While financial details remain undisclosed, the strategic intent is clear: deepen automation capabilities and sharpen American Express’s position in the competitive corporate spending ecosystem.
The two companies are not strangers. They previously collaborated in 2024 on a co-branded credit card product, suggesting that the acquisition is less a cold buy and more an extension of an existing relationship. With this move, American Express is effectively bringing that capability in-house, aiming to embed AI directly into its commercial services stack.
Chief executive Stephen Squeri had already signalled the direction of travel in a recent shareholder letter, describing AI as a “structural shift” in how businesses operate. The Hyper acquisition appears to be a direct response to that shift, particularly in expense management, where processes such as approvals, compliance checks and reporting remain ripe for automation.
Alongside the acquisition, the company is also expanding its product suite. A recently launched business credit card offers cashback and benefits at an annual fee of $295, with another card expected later this year moves that complement its broader push into commercial services.
Taken together, the strategy points to a future where managing expenses may require fewer spreadsheets and more algorithms. For American Express, the bet is simple, if businesses are rethinking how work gets done, the tools that power that work need to evolve just as quickly.
