WhatsApp banned 71 lakh user accounts in November due to policy violation

WhatsApp, a Facebook owned instant messaging platform, banned over 71 lakh accounts in India in November 2023. According to India’s monthly report under the IT Rules, 2021 (published on January 1, 2024), WhatsApp banned 71,96,000 accounts between November 1 to 30, out of these, the company proactively banned 19,54,000 accounts before anyone reported these accounts.The company received 8,841 grievances and acted on six of them. Additionally, eight reports from the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) were received, and all were complied with.
WhatsApp identifies Indian users through their +91 phone numbers. The company stated that the user safety report details user complaints and the corresponding actions taken, including WhatsApp's preventive measures against abuse on the platform.

WhatsApp has taken various measures to tackle abuse and enhance security and privacy on the platform. These measures include detection at various levels (registration, messaging, and response to feedback), as well as a team of analysts to evaluate reported accounts for necessary actions such as permanent banning.

Additionally, some of the security features implemented by WhatsApp, such as end-to-end encryption, mute unknown number, and chat lock, contribute to making WhatsApp a private and secure cross-platform messaging service.