WhatsApp banned over 29 lakh Indian accounts in January 2023, here is why

By Divya BhatiWhatsApp releases its user safety report every month. The report includes the number of accounts the platform banned in the following month, grievances reports it received by the users and more. The meta-owned platform has recently shared the user safety report revealing that more than 29 lakh Indian accounts were banned on WhatsApp in January 2023.

WhatsApp has banned these user accounts under Rule 4(1)(d) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The latest report from the instant messaging platform reveals that WhatsApp banned over 2,918,000 accounts of Indian users between January 1 – January 31, 2023.

The accounts were banned after receiving grievances from users in India. WhatsApp actioned against these accounts following its prevention and detection methods for violating the laws of India or WhatsApp’s Terms of Service. The report further quotes that out of 2,918,000 banned accounts, WhatsApp has banned around 1,038,000 proactively before receiving any reports from users.

The data shared in the report reveals that WhatsApp, which has the maximum number of users in the country, received 1461 complaint reports. Out of which, 1337 ban appeals were made but WhatsApp took action against only 191. The platform also received 7 safety related reports but no action was taken based on the report.

Commenting on banning lakhs of accounts in India, WhatsApp said, “We are an industry leader among end-to-end encrypted messaging services in preventing and combating abuse. In addition to our safety features and controls, we employ a team of engineers, data scientists, analysts, researchers, and experts in law enforcement, online safety, and technology developments to oversee these efforts.” The company said that it deploys tools and resources to prevent harmful behaviour on the platform. “.We enable users to block contacts and to report problematic content and contacts to us from inside the app. We pay close attention to user feedback and engage with specialists in stemming misinformation, promoting cybersecurity, and preserving election integrity.” the messaging platform said.

How to report account on WhatsApp

If you want to file a report for any account on WhatsApp which you feel is in violation of the terms and conditions of WhatsApp or your safety, you can submit your report to WhatsApp Settings > tap Help > Contact Us.

In case you want to escalate your issue to reach the grievance officer in India, you can send an email with your complaint or concern and sign with your electronic signature. Notably, include your phone number in full international format, including the country code.

The Grievance Office can also be contacted via post at the following address:
Siddhartha Nahar
AttentionGrievance Officer
WhatsApp, LLC
Unit B8 and B10
The Executive Center
Level 18, DLF Cyber City, Building No. 5, Tower A, Phase III
Gurgaon – 122002
India