WhatsApp banned accounts of record 71 lakh Indians, this is the reason

New Delhi (Uttam Hindu News): Meta-owned WhatsApp banned over 71 lakh accounts in India in November 2023 for not following the new IT Rules 2021. Between November 1-30, the company banned 71,96,000 accounts. WhatsApp said in its monthly compliance report that before any reports from users, about 19,54,000 of these accounts were actively banned.

The most popular messaging platform in the country with over 500 million users received a record 8,841 complaints in the country in November and action was taken on only six. “Accounts Actioned” refers to reports where WhatsApp took action based on the report and taking action means either banning an account or resulting in reinstatement of a previously banned account.

According to the company, “This user safety report includes details of user complaints received and actions taken by WhatsApp, as well as WhatsApp’s own actions to address abuse on our platform.” To empower millions of Indian social media users, the Center recently launched the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) that looks into their concerns regarding content and other issues.

The newly formed panel, a step towards strengthening the country’s digital laws to rein in Big Tech companies, will look into appeals made by users against decisions of social media platforms. “We are a leader among end-to-end encrypted messaging services in preventing and combating abuse,” WhatsApp said. “In addition to our security features and controls, we employ a team of engineers, data scientists, analysts, researchers, and experts in law enforcement online security and technology development to oversee these efforts.”