WhatsApp banned over 20 lakh users in India in August, compliance report reveals

 WhatsApp’s monthly compliance report reveals that the messaging app had banned over 20 lakh accounts in India in August.

HIGHLIGHTS

• WhatsApp had banned over 20 lakh accounts in India.
• The monthly compliance report also revealed that WhatsApp got 420 grievance reports during August.
• An Indian account is identified via a +91 phone number.

WhatsApp’s monthly compliance report reveals that the messaging app had banned over 20 lakh accounts in India in August. The monthly compliance report also revealed that WhatsApp got 420 grievance reports during August. An Indian account is identified via a +91 phone number. One of the primary reasons behind the ban of 20,70,000 accounts took place due to unauthorised use of automated or bulk messages.

WhatsApp compliance data showed that it received 420 user reports spanning across account support (105), ban appeal (222), other support (34), product support (42) and safety (17) during August. However, out of 421 reports, WhatsApp took remedial action against 41 accounts.

WhatsApp in its support page revealed that when it gets user complaints through the grievance channel, the messaging app deploys tools and resources to prevent harmful behaviour on the platform.

"This user-safety report contains details of the user complaints received and the corresponding action was taken by WhatsApp, as well as WhatsApp's own preventive actions to combat abuse on our platform. Our top focus is preventing accounts from sending harmful or unwanted messages at scale. We maintain advanced capabilities to identify these accounts sending a high or abnormal rate of messages.Majority of users who reach out to us are either aiming to have their account restored following an action to ban them or reaching out for product or account support,” WhatsApp spokesperson said in a statement.

Earlier, WhatsApp had revealed that it had banned over three million accounts in forty-six days. The accounts were banned between June 16 and July 31 to prevent online abuse and keeping users safe on the platform. WhatsApp took action against the violating accounts on the basis of the reports and complaints received through the grievances channels. WhatsApp maintains a record of accounts that have a high or abnormal rate of messages and bans millions of such accounts attempting this kind of abuse in India and across the world. Over 95 per cent of accounts that engage in automated or bulk messaging face bans in India.

“The abuse detection operates at three stages of an account’s lifestyle: at registration, during messaging, and in response to negative feedback, which we receive in the form of user reports and blocks. A team of analysts augments these systems to evaluate edge cases and help improve our effectiveness over time,” the report by WhatsApp read.