WhatsApp bans over 80 lakh Indian accounts to tackle rising online scams
WhatsApp has banned over 80 lakh Indian accounts to combat rising online scams and maintain the integrity of the platform. The move is part of WhatsApp’s ongoing efforts to deal with accounts involved in illegal activities or violating its terms of service.
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WhatsApp is one of the most popular instant messaging apps in India, with millions of users. Due to its widespread popularity, the platform has also become a hub for bad actors, such as scammers, who use the channel to conduct their scams. In response to such threats, WhatsApp reviews user reports and proactively bans suspicious accounts from the platform. Recently, WhatsApp banned over 8 million Indian accounts in a single month for violating its privacy policies.
According to WhatsApp’s latest transparency report, the Meta-owned instant messaging app banned 8,458,000 users in India in August. The report, published in compliance with Rule 4(1)(d) and Rule 3A(7) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, underlines WhatsApp’s increased vigilance against accounts that violate its policies. violate or engage in. In illegal activities under Indian law.
Between August 1 and August 31, WhatsApp blocked a total of 8,458,000 Indian accounts. Of these, 1,661,000 accounts were proactively banned, meaning they were detected and action was taken before any user complaints were received. This was achieved using WhatsApp’s automated systems that detect suspicious behavior patterns such as bulk messaging or other unusual activities, which are often early indicators of scams or abuse.
Regarding user reports, WhatsApp revealed that in August 2024, it received 10,707 user complaints through its complaint mechanism. Of these, WhatsApp took action on 93 complaints. User reports submitted through email and postal channels directed to its India Grievance Officer were categorized into ban appeals, account support, security issues and other user-related concerns.
Reasons for banning WhatsApp account
WhatsApp revealed that it typically bans accounts for a variety of reasons, including:
- Violations of Terms of Service: This includes activities like sending large numbers of messages, spamming, engaging in scams, or sharing misleading information.
- Illegal Activities: Accounts that engage in activities considered illegal under local laws are flagged and banned.
- User complaints: WhatsApp also takes action on complaints from users who face abuse, harassment or inappropriate behavior.
How WhatsApp deals with violating users
Providing more information on how it deals with abuse, WhatsApp explains that its abuse detection works in three primary stages: during registration, during messaging activities, and in response to user feedback such as reports and blocks. . By analyzing the context of user interactions, the system can identify accounts engaging in harmful behavior and take appropriate action, including suspension or permanent ban. “The data shared below highlights the number of Indian accounts banned by WhatsApp between August 1 and August 31, 2024 using the above abuse detection approach, including negative feedback received through our ‘Report’ feature. Also includes actions taken in response to feedback,” says. Whatsapp.
