WhatsApp announced on Wednesday that it banned over 79 lakh accounts in India during March 2024, with approximately 1.4 million of these proactively banned before any user reports were received.

What Happened: This action, detailed in the company's monthly report mandated by the IT rules of 2021, highlights its aggressive stance against the misuse of its platform.

The messaging service identifies Indian users by their +91 phone numbers and noted receiving 12,782 grievances in March. Of these, only 11 user reports prompted action.

Additionally, the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC), set up by the Government of India to handle citizens’ concerns about social media, submitted eight reports to WhatsApp, with the company complying with all five actionable ones.

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In comparison to the previous month, WhatsApp disclosed that it had banned over 76 lakh Indian accounts in February 2024, with about 14 lakh accounts banned preemptively, without user reports.

The company’s approach to combatting abuse involves a strategy that includes user reports, advanced detection technologies, and proactive measures aimed at preventing harmful activity before it occurs.

WhatsApp operates across three main stages of an account’s lifecycle: registration, messaging, and responding to user feedback, which includes reports and blocks. The platform also maintains a team of analysts who continuously work to enhance the effectiveness of these systems, ensuring safer communication for its users.

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