In November 2023, approximately 71 lakh accounts in India were banned by Meta-owned WhatsApp. India’s monthly report under the IT Rules, 2021 (released on January 1, 2024) states that during the period of November 1 to November 30, WhatsApp banned 71,96,000 accounts. Of those, 19,54,000 accounts were proactively blocked by the firm before any complaints were received.

WhatsApp uses the +91 phone number to identify Indian users. WhatsApp received 8,841 complaints in the same month, and six of these reports were addressed by the firm. Additionally, WhatsApp has cooperated with all eight of the Grievance Appellate Committee’s (GAC) findings that it has received. The Indian government established GAC in response to issues brought up by Indian citizens on social media.

In addition to WhatsApp’s own preventive measures to stop abuse on the network, the user safety report includes information about user complaints that WhatsApp received and the appropriate action that it took.

In order to combat abuse on the network, the company offers materials and tools that can be used to stop unwanted activity. Three stages are involved in WhatsApp detection: “during registration, during messaging, and in reaction to unfavourable feedback.” When a user complains an account, a group of analysts review it to see whether harsh measures, like a permanent ban, are necessary.

With features like end-to-end encryption, silence unknown number, and conversation lock, WhatsApp is now a private and secure cross-platform messaging service. The firm has been adding security measures to improve privacy and customer safety throughout the year.

The Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) was established by the Indian government to provide a great deal of power to the country’s social media users. This committee was established to handle user complaints and concerns over content on social media platforms as well as other issues.

The recently established panel will consider user appeals against judgments made by social media platforms as part of an effort to strengthen the nation’s digital laws in an effort to rein in Big Tech companies.

WhatsApp stated, “When it comes to preventing and combatting abuse, we are an industry leader among end-to-end encrypted messaging platforms. We employ a team of engineers, data scientists, analysts, researchers, and specialists in law enforcement, online safety, and advances in technology to oversee these efforts in addition to our safety features and controls.

How to submit a report on accounts on WhatsApp:

• Open the WhatsApp chat that you wish to report.
• In the chat window, tap the person’s name.
• Select “Report.”
• Consider the reason for reporting the account.
• Click “Send.”

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/whatsapp-banned-71-lakh-accounts-in-india-9091316/