WhatsApp bans 71 lakh Indian accounts in April; know why
PTC Web Desk: In its latest effort to curb misuse and maintain platform integrity, WhatsApp has reported banning approximately 71 lakh Indian accounts between April 1 and April 30. This proactive measure by the Meta-owned instant messaging platform has been taken to prevent abuse and ensuring a safe user environment.
WhatsApp’s India Monthly Report for April 2024 reveals that a total of 7,182,000 accounts were banned during the month. Of these, 1,302,000 accounts were proactively banned even before any user reports were made. The initiative to ban accounts is part of WhatsApp’s compliance with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. These regulations require digital platforms to publish compliance reports detailing the actions taken in response to user grievances and law violations. The latest June 2024 report highlights WhatsApp’s rigorous steps against harmful behaviour, using both user complaints and sophisticated in-house detection mechanisms.
In April 2024, WhatsApp received 10,554 user reports on various issues, including account support, ban appeals, product support, and safety concerns. Despite this high volume of reports, only six accounts were actioned based on these complaints. This reflects the stringent criteria WhatsApp employs before taking action against reported accounts.
Reasons for Account Bans
Violation of Terms of Service: Accounts engaging in spam, scams, misinformation, and harmful content are banned.
Legal Violations: Any activity that breaches local laws results in an immediate ban.
User Reports: WhatsApp acts on reports from users who encounter abusive or inappropriate behavior.
How WhatsApp Detects and Prevents Abuse
WhatsApp employs a multi-faceted approach to detect and prevent abuse, tackling potential issues at different stages of a user’s account lifecycle
Suspicious Registrations: WhatsApp has mechanisms to detect and block suspicious registrations during account creation, preventing bad actors from entering the platform initially.
Message Activity Scanning: Algorithms constantly scan message activity for patterns indicating harmful behavior, such as spam messages, threats, or the spread of misinformation.
User Feedback: User reports and blocks feed into WhatsApp’s detection system, triggering further investigation and potential account bans.
Analyst Review: A dedicated team of analysts examines complex or unusual cases to enhance the system’s effectiveness. By refining algorithms and identifying new abuse patterns, WhatsApp strives to stay ahead of evolving threats.