The popular messaging platform WhatsApp banned over 71 lakh accounts in India last month. This massive number reveals WhatsApp’s efforts to crack down on problematic accounts that violate its policies.
WhatsApp instituted the bans to comply with India’s new IT Rules 2021. The rules require platforms to publish monthly reports about actions taken against abusive accounts. Of the 71.96 lakh accounts banned in November, 19.54 lakh were caught by proactive measures before users even reported them.
This continues an upward trend in WhatsApp account bans. In October, over 71 lakh accounts faced bans. September and August also saw bans of 75 lakh and 74 lakh accounts respectively.
WhatsApp states they ban accounts engaged in illegal or abusive behavior like spam, scams, or jeopardizing other users’ safety. With over 500 million Indian users, WhatsApp received a record 8,841 complaint reports in November. The company “actioned” six of these reports by banning flagged accounts.
Essentially, WhatsApp is asserting its efforts to combat abuse and maintain safety across its encrypted platform. The company employs teams of experts in technology, law enforcement, research, and online safety to monitor this.
While WhatsApp faces criticism for spreading misinformation in India, its monthly reports reveal serious work to remove malicious accounts. The high numbers of bans show WhatsApp’s proactive stance despite its encrypted model. For users, this means a safer messaging experience.
The platform still has improvements to make in fighting false news in India. But by publicly posting its ban statistics, WhatsApp demonstrates accountability to weed out the worst offenders from its services. For now, Indian users can feel somewhat reassured about the accounts they interact with there.
