WhatsApp accounts:-This action has been taken as part of the company’s policy to protect users and curb undesirable activities on the platform.
WhatsApp accounts banned:-WhatsApp, the most popular social media platform in India, has recently banned about 84 lakh Indian accounts. This action was taken between 1 and 31 August 2024 and its aim is to make the platform safe and prevent undesirable activities like scams. The main reason given by WhatsApp’s parent company Meta for taking this step was that many users had lodged complaints about scams, fraud and illegal activities. The company banned these accounts considering them suspicious.
84 lakh accounts banned: What is the reason?
The transparency report released by Meta states that a large number of accounts were detected on WhatsApp which were using the platform in the wrong way. These accounts were either spreading fake information, or were involved in activities like scamming and phishing. The decision to ban these accounts was taken on the basis of WhatsApp’s internal security system and complaints made by users.
WhatsApp says that when a user continuously spreads fake messages, spam, or unwanted information, it becomes necessary to close such an account. Under this process, out of the 84 lakh accounts banned in August 2024, about 16.61 lakh accounts were closed immediately, while the rest were closed after investigation when found to be involved in suspicious activities.
Steps taken under legal provisions
This action of WhatsApp was taken following Section 4(1)(d) and 3A(7) of the Information Technology Act of India. Under these provisions, if a digital platform witnesses suspicious activities or illegal actions, it has to take immediate action on it. WhatsApp has banned these accounts following this legal framework.
complaints
In August 2024, WhatsApp received about 10,707 complaints from Indian users. WhatsApp took immediate action in 93 of these complaints. These complaints were usually related to scams, fraud, dissemination of misinformation, and phishing. However, WhatsApp’s monitoring system also banned those accounts against which no complaint was made, but they were found suspicious during scanning.
With the help of its automated system, WhatsApp found that many users were misusing their accounts, such as sending bulk messages, spreading fake news or misusing the platform for illegal transactions. In such cases, even without any user complaint, WhatsApp immediately closed these accounts.
How does WhatsApp’s security system work?
WhatsApp’s security system takes special care that the personal information of the users on the platform remains safe and it is not used for any wrong purpose. If a user sends bulk messages or is involved in activities like spam or fraud, his account is immediately banned. Apart from this, if a user violates Indian laws or uses WhatsApp for suspicious activities, then his account can also be banned.
Account closed even without complaint
One special thing was that WhatsApp banned more than 16 lakh accounts without any complaint from the user. These were the accounts which WhatsApp’s automated monitoring system found to be involved in suspicious activities. Such as sending spam on a large scale, committing fraud by creating fake profiles, or using the platform to spread any kind of rumor.
Company statement
WhatsApp and Meta have made it clear that they are fully committed to the safety of users on their platform. The company says that if a user misuses his rights, there will be no hesitation in banning him. Meta has warned users through its transparency report that they should use the platform responsibly, otherwise strict steps will be taken.
Thus, WhatsApp not only took cognizance of the user complaints but also strengthened its monitoring system so that more stringent measures could be taken to prevent such incidents in the future.