79 Lakhs Indian WhatsApp Accounts Banned In March

WhatsApp, under the umbrella of Meta, disclosed that it enforced bans on over 7.9 million accounts in India during the month of March, aligning with the mandates outlined in the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules of 2021.

Within the timeframe of March 1 to March 31, a staggering 7,954,000 WhatsApp accounts faced bans, with 1,430,000 of these bans being proactive measures taken before any user reports were received, as detailed in the company’s monthly compliance report.

The messaging giant, boasting a user base of over 500 million in India, encountered a significant surge in complaint reports during March, totaling 12,782. Out of these, 11 reports were actioned, indicating remedial measures taken by WhatsApp in response to grievances.

WhatsApp clarified the term “Accounts Actioned” as instances where remedial steps were taken based on user complaints, encompassing both bans and restorations of previously banned accounts.

The company stated its commitment to addressing all received grievances, except duplicates, clarifying that an account is actioned when either it is banned or a previously banned account is restored as a result of a complaint.

In the preceding month, between February 1 to February 29, WhatsApp reported banning 7,628,000 accounts, with 1,424,000 being proactively banned before user reports surfaced.

In addition to deploying safety features and controls, WhatsApp emphasized its dedicated team comprising engineers, data scientists, analysts, researchers, and experts in various domains to oversee and enhance safety efforts.