WhatsApp banned over 47 lakh Indian accounts in March

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, May 01, 2023: WhatsApp, the instant messaging app owned by Meta, has released its user safety report for March 2023. The report includes information about the number of Indian accounts banned by the platform, the complaints received from users, and other relevant details during the period.

 

According to the latest report, more than 47 lakh Indian accounts were banned on WhatsApp in March 2023. These accounts were banned in compliance with Rule 4(1)(d) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. WhatsApp banned these accounts because users violated Indian laws or WhatsApp’s terms of service.

Between March 1 and March 31, 2023, WhatsApp banned over 4,715,906 Indian users. Of these, around 1,659,385 accounts were banned proactively by WhatsApp before any complaints were received from users. The platform took action against the remaining accounts using its prevention and detection methods.

In March, WhatsApp banned many more accounts compared to the previous month. Between January 1 and February 28, 2023, WhatsApp banned over 4,597,400 Indian users. Of these, around 1,298,000 accounts were banned proactively by WhatsApp before any complaints were received from users. Additionally, the latest report reveals that WhatsApp received 4,720 complaint reports. Out of these, 4,316 ban appeals were made, but WhatsApp took action against only 553.

The platform also received 10 safety-related reports, but WhatsApp didn’t take action against any account. For some reports, WhatsApp did not block users after reviewing them because the users needed assistance to access their accounts, use a feature, and provide feedback, or the reported account did not violate Indian laws or their terms of service.

Courtesy: India Today