WhatsApp has become a part of our day-to-day conversation. But this popular app has also become a hub for scammers. Recently, WhatsApp banned over 80 lakh Indian accounts in a single month for violating privacy policies.
The recent transparency report from WhatsApp states that 8,458,000 Indian users were banned from WhatsApp in August. The report, released by Rule 4(1)(d) and Rule 3A(7) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, highlights WhatsApp’s efforts to monitor accounts that violate its policies or indulge in illegal activities.
Between August 1 and August 31, WhatsApp banned millions of accounts. Interestingly, 1,661,000 of these were proactively banned before any users complained.
WhatsApp’s automated systems, made to detect suspicious activities such as bulk messaging, which function as early warning signs for scams or abuse, enabled these proactive bans.
WhatsApp’s grievance mechanism noted in August 2024 that there were approximately 10,707 users’ complaints. However, out of these complaints, only 93 received actions because not every complaint caused an account ban. The reports, which were provided by the users to the WhatsApp India Grievance Officer, were classified into a number of categories, such as ban appeals, account support, safety concerns, and others.
The most common reasons behind banning accounts are:
Violation of terms of service: This includes actions like sending spam messages, participating in scams, or spreading misleading information.
Illegal activities: This includes activities considered illegal under Indian laws.
Complaints from users: WhatsApp takes action on reports from users who experience abusive or inappropriate behavior.
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