New Delhi (CNN Business) WhatsApp is imposing stricter limits on how widely its users can share messages in a bid to crack down on the spread of false information.

Following a six-month experiment in India, the messaging platform announced on Monday that it will restrict users globally to forwarding a message to only five chats at a time. The previous limit outside India was 20.

WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook ( FB ), first imposed the five-chat limit in India — its biggest global market — in July after viral hoax messages resulted in more than a dozen lynchings. Many of the victims were mistaken as child abductors because of false rumors spread via WhatsApp.

"The forward limit significantly reduced forwarded messages around the world," the company said in a statement, adding that the limits would help keep WhatsApp a private messaging platform for close contacts.

"We'll continue to listen to user feedback about their experience, and over time, look for new ways of addressing viral content," the company added.