In compliance with Indian IT regulations, WhatsApp, owned by Meta, has reported the suspension of 7.11 million accounts throughout September. This information comes from the platform’s latest monthly report on user safety in India.
Of the total accounts banned, 2.57 million were identified and suspended proactively, prior to any user complaints being lodged.
WhatsApp identifies Indian accounts using the ‘+91’ country code.
According to their report, “Between September 1, 2023, and September 30, 2023, 7,111,000 WhatsApp accounts were banned, with 2,571,000 of these proactively suspended before being reported by users.”
The user-safety report details the complaints filed by users, the actions taken by WhatsApp in response, and the platform’s preventive measures against potential abuse.
From September 1 to September 30, WhatsApp received six directives from the Grievance Appellate Committee, all of which were duly complied with, as noted in the report.
In the previous month, August, WhatsApp had banned 7.4 million accounts, with 3.5 million of those being taken down proactively.
During September, WhatsApp recorded a total of 10,442 user complaints, categorized as follows: account support (1,031), ban appeals (7,396), general support (1,518), product support (370), and safety-related issues (127).
As a consequence of the incoming reports, 85 accounts were subjected to action during this timeframe.
WhatsApp clarified that the term “Accounts Actioned” refers to instances where they took specific remedial steps in response to a report received, which could involve either banning an account or reinstating one that had been previously suspended due to user complaints.
Reports that are reviewed may not always result in action being taken for various reasons, including when users require help accessing their accounts or utilizing certain features. Other scenarios may involve a user asking for the restoration of a banned account, which is sometimes denied, or if the reported account was found not to be in violation of Indian laws or WhatsApp’s Terms of Service.
The report highlighted that grievances relating to safety often concern issues tied to abuse or harmful behavior on the platform.
WhatsApp stated that it endeavors to address all grievances received unless a complaint is identified as a duplicate of an earlier submission.
