News Mania / Piyal Chatterjee / 15th October 2024
With millions of users, WhatsApp is one of the most widely used instant messaging programs in India. Because of its immense popularity, the platform has also turned into a gathering place for dishonest people, such scammers, who utilize the channel to carry out their schemes. WhatsApp examines user complaints in response to these dangers and proactively removes questionable accounts from the network. In a single month, WhatsApp most recently banned almost 8 million Indian accounts for breaking its privacy rules.
The most recent transparency report from WhatsApp states that 8,458,000 users in India were banned in August by the Meta-owned instant messaging service. The report describes WhatsApp’s heightened vigilance against accounts that breach its policies or participate in unlawful activities under Indian law. It was published in accordance with Rules 4(1)(d) and 3A(7) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
8,458,000 Indian accounts were blocked by WhatsApp between August 1 and August 31. 1,661,000 of these accounts were proactively banned, which means that they were found and dealt with prior to user complaints. WhatsApp’s automatic systems, which identify suspect behavior patterns like bulk texting or other odd activities—often early warning signs of abuse or scams—were used to accomplish this.
According to user reports, WhatsApp disclosed that 10,707 user complaints were submitted through its grievance procedures in August 2024. WhatsApp responded to 93 of these complaints. The user reports were categorized into ban appeals, account support, safety issues, and other user-related concerns. They were sent to the India Grievance Officer via email and postal means.
According to WhatsApp, accounts are usually banned for a number of reasons, such as violations include sending unsolicited mass messages, spamming, falling for scams, and disseminating false information , Accounts that engage in actions that are prohibited by local legislation are identified and blocked and WhatsApp also responds to user complaints about inappropriate, abusive, or harassing behavior.
WhatsApp provides further information about its abuse detection process, stating that it works in three main phases: during the registration process, during messaging activity, and in response to user feedback, including reports and blockages. The technology may detect accounts engaging in harmful behavior and take necessary action, such as suspending or permanently banning them, by analyzing the context of user interactions. “The data shared below highlights the number of Indian accounts banned by WhatsApp between August 1 and August 31, 2024, using the aforementioned abuse detection approach, which also includes actions taken in response to negative feedback received via our ‘Report’ feature,” according to WhatsApp.
