WhatsApp banned over 20 lakh Indian users in August, reveals report

According to WhatsApp’s monthly compliance report, over 20 lakh accounts were banned in India in August. In August, the instant messaging service received 420 complaints, according to the study.

The improper use of automated or bulk messaging is said to be one of the main reasons for the banning of 20,70,000 accounts. In India, about 95% of accounts engaging in automated messaging have been banned.

According to WhatsApp’s monthly compliance report, the platform received 420 user reports in August, including 105 for account support, 222 for ban appeals, 34 for other assistance, 42 for product support, and 17 for safety.

Out of the 421 reports received, WhatsApp took action against 41 accounts. In addition, the messaging service said on its support page that when it receives user complaints via the grievance channel, it uses tools and resources to prevent harmful behaviour.

“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 stated.

WhatsApp has previously said that it had banned over three million accounts in just 46 days. Between June 16 and July 31, the accounts were suspended to prevent online abuse and keep users secure on the platform. On the basis of reports and complaints received through the grievance channels, WhatsApp took action against the offending accounts. WhatsApp keeps track of accounts that send a large or unusual number of messages, and millions of such accounts in India and around the world are banned for attempting this type of abuse. In India, about 95% of accounts that participate in automated or bulk texting are subject to banning.

“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.

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