WhatsApp Bans 71.1 Lakh Accounts in India in September

• ByStartupStory     |    November 3, 2023

In compliance with India’s IT rules, WhatsApp, owned by Meta, reported that it banned 71.1 lakh accounts during September. This information was revealed in the latest monthly report by the popular messaging platform. Out of the banned accounts, 25.7 lakh were proactively banned before any user reports were received.

Indian accounts on WhatsApp can be identified by the ‘+91’ country code.

The user-safety report provides insights into user complaints received and the corresponding actions taken by WhatsApp, as well as the platform’s preventive measures to combat abuse.

During September 1-30, WhatsApp received six orders from the Grievance Appellate Committee, and all six orders were duly complied with.

In August, WhatsApp had banned 74 lakh accounts, with 35 lakh of them being proactively banned.

According to the latest report, WhatsApp received 10,442 user reports in September, covering various categories including account support, ban appeal, other support, product support, and safety. A total of 85 accounts were acted upon based on the received reports. “Accounts Actioned” refers to reports where remedial action was taken, either through banning an account or restoring a previously banned account in response to the complaint.

WhatsApp clarified that some reports may have been reviewed but not included as ‘Actioned’ for various reasons, such as the user needing assistance to access their account, user-requested restoration of a banned account being denied, or if the reported account did not violate Indian laws or WhatsApp’s Terms of Service.

The report emphasized that “safety-related grievances pertain to issues that may be about abuse or harmful behavior on the platform.” WhatsApp is committed to responding to all grievances received, except in cases where a complaint is considered a duplicate of a previous ticket.

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WhatsApp’s monthly reports provide transparency into its efforts to address user concerns and maintain a safe and secure platform for its vast user base in India.

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