In November 2023, WhatsApp, owned by Facebook, suspended over 7.1 million accounts in India, adhering to the new IT Rules 2021. Throughout November 1-30, 1,954,000 accounts were proactively banned, as per WhatsApp’s monthly compliance report, preceding any user reports.
In October, the company suspended over 7.1 million accounts. The count was 7.5 million in September and approximately 7.4 million in August 2023.
Criteria for WhatsApp Account Suspensions
“We suspend accounts if we determine that the account activity breaches our Terms of Service, such as engaging in spam, scams, or posing a risk to the safety of WhatsApp users,” states the company on its page.
What does ‘Actioned accounts’ mean?
With over 500 million users in the country, WhatsApp received a notable 8,841 complaint reports in India in November. The records “actioned” amounted to six, according to the company.
“Accounts Actioned” refers to reports where WhatsApp has implemented remedial measures based on the reported issue. Taking action can involve either banning an account or reinstating a previously banned account.
According to the company, “This user-safety report includes information on user complaints received, the actions taken by WhatsApp in response, and the preventive measures implemented by WhatsApp to address abuse on our platform.”
WhatsApp states, “As a leader in the industry of end-to-end encrypted messaging services, we excel in preventing and addressing abuse. Beyond our safety features and controls, we have a dedicated team of engineers, data scientists, analysts, researchers, and experts in law enforcement, online safety, and technology advancements to oversee these initiatives.”