WhatsApp Banned 98 Lakh Accounts in June in India Citing Harmful Activity

WhatsApp took down over 98 lakh accounts in India during June as part of its ongoing measures to combat misuse and harmful behaviour, the messaging platform revealed in a monthly report. Some accounts that were banned by the chat service were proactively disabled before any user reports were filed. The platform also responded to user complaints received during the same period. The Meta-owned company has shed light on how it detects abuse on the platform. 

WhatsApp Received 16,069 Account-Related Ban Appeals in June 

WhatsApp banned over 98 lakh accounts in India in June, citing harmful behaviour and abuse on the platform, according to its latest India Monthly Report. Nearly 19.79 lakh of these accounts were proactively banned before any user complaints were lodged.  These reports are published in compliance with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules (2021).

The Meta-owned messaging platform also addressed user complaints received from India. In June, the platform received 23,596 user complaints, leading to action against 1,001 accounts. These measures included either banning accounts or reinstating previously banned ones after reviewing the submitted concerns.

Out of these 16,069 complaints, were linked to ban appeals, resulting in action on 756 accounts. According to the report, other complaint categories included account assistance, product-related queries, and safety concerns.

WhatsApp says it is more effective to stop harmful activity before it starts than to detect it later. The company added that its abuse detection system operates at three key stages, including during account setup, during messaging, and in reaction to negative feedback.

In other news, WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new night mode feature for its Android app to improve photos in low light. In a beta version, a dedicated night mode appears in the camera interface, aiming to enhance brightness and clarity without adding filters or effects.