WhatsApp, owned by Meta, banned a record 71 lakh (7.1 million) bad accounts in India in November 2023 in compliance with the new IT Rules 2021.

WhatsApp banned 7.1 million accounts in India

• Ban Statistics:
  • WhatsApp banned 71,96,000 accounts in India during November 2023.
  • Out of these, 19,54,000 accounts were proactively banned without user reports.
• Complaints and Actions:
  • Received 8,841 complaint reports in November.
  • Six actions were taken based on these reports.
  • “Accounts Actioned” refers to remedial actions like banning or restoring a previously banned account.
• User-Safety Report:
  • The user-safety report includes details of user complaints and actions taken by WhatsApp.
  • WhatsApp emphasizes its commitment to preventing and combating abuse on its platform.
  • The company employs a team of professionals, including engineers, data scientists, analysts, researchers, and law enforcement experts for these efforts.
• Government Initiatives:
  • The Indian government launched the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) to address concerns of social media users.
  • GAC is tasked with reviewing appeals by users against decisions of social media platforms.
• Industry Leadership:
  • WhatsApp claims to be an industry leader among end-to-end encrypted messaging services in preventing and combating abuse.
  • Highlights safety features, controls, and the multidisciplinary team overseeing these efforts.
• Digital Law Strengthening:
  • The GAC initiative is part of the government’s move to strengthen digital laws to regulate Big Tech companies.
  • A step towards empowering Indian social media users.