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New Delhi: WhatsApp, a Meta-owned instant messaging platform, has disclosed that it took action against more than 76 lakh accounts in India during February 2024, in line with the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
According to the company’s monthly compliance report, between February 1 and 29, approximately 7,628,000 WhatsApp accounts were banned, with 1,424,000 of them being proactively banned before any user reports were received.
The messaging giant, boasting over 500 million users in India, received a record 16,618 complaint reports in February, of which 22 were “actioned.” “Accounts Actioned” refers to instances where WhatsApp took remedial action based on a report, either by banning an account or restoring a previously banned account.
“We respond to all grievances received except in cases where a grievance is deemed to be a duplicate of a previous ticket. An account is ‘actioned’ when an account is banned or a previously banned account is restored, as a result of a complaint,” the company clarified.
In January, WhatsApp had banned “6,728,000 accounts,” with 1,358,000 being proactively banned before any user reports.
WhatsApp emphasized its commitment to safety measures, stating, “We employ a team of engineers, data scientists, analysts, researchers, and experts in law enforcement, online safety, and technology developments to oversee these efforts.”
Meanwhile, recent leaks suggest that WhatsApp might introduce international payments via its in-app Unified Payments Interface (UPI) service. Speculations arose after a user named AssembleDebug posted on X hinting at WhatsApp’s potential work on enabling international payments via UPI for Indian users.
