The government has raised concerns over the scale of misuse of Indian mobile numbers, even as WhatsApp continues to ban a large number of accounts every month for violations. Officials said the Meta-owned messaging platform has banned an average of 9.8 million Indian accounts per month up to October this year, but the lack of transparency around these bans is making it difficult for authorities to tackle spam, cyber fraud and other digital crimes effectively.

According to an Economic Times report, the issue has become a point of discussion between the government and WhatsApp, with officials seeking greater cooperation from the platform. While WhatsApp publishes monthly compliance reports stating how many accounts have been banned, it does not share details of the corresponding mobile numbers. This, officials said, is hampering efforts to trace fraud networks and prevent banned numbers from resurfacing on other platforms.

India is WhatsApp’s largest market, and the company identifies Indian accounts through the +91 country code. Government officials noted that in many cases, numbers banned on WhatsApp later appear on other over-the-top (OTT) platforms such as Telegram and are again linked to fraudulent activities. The misuse of Indian mobile numbers, both domestically and from abroad, remains a major concern despite ongoing measures to curb cybercrime.

Officials pointed out that OTT apps can continue to function without a SIM card once an account is created using a mobile number, making it extremely difficult for enforcement agencies to track fraudsters. They added that nearly 95 per cent of cases involving digital arrests and impersonation are currently taking place on WhatsApp. “There are concerns around how Indian numbers are being used by fraudsters, and we are addressing those issues. We have to balance convenience against security implications,” an official said.

Tracking when a SIM card was issued and verifying whether the know-your-customer (KYC) details are genuine or fake is critical to checking such frauds, officials said. The government is in discussions not just with WhatsApp but also with other OTT platforms to explore ways to deal with the problem more effectively. WhatsApp, however, did not respond to queries on the matter.

The government also directs platforms to ban accounts found to be involved in scams or illegal activities. As per the Department of Telecommunications, nearly 2.9 million WhatsApp profiles and groups have been disengaged till November this year based on government directions. While authorities have visibility into these actions, they say there is no clarity when WhatsApp bans accounts on its own.

“As WhatsApp does not coordinate with authorities regarding accounts it bans independently, we do not know which numbers have been blocked,” an official said, adding that the government is not seeking personal details, only the numbers, to verify whether they are genuine or linked to misuse.

Former MeitY official Rakesh Maheshwari said the intent behind monthly compliance reports was to bring greater transparency and accountability. “If there are certain revelations that require deeper introspection, the government has the right to seek more information,” he said.

WhatsApp has maintained that due to end-to-end encryption, enforcement actions are based on behavioural signals and that sharing granular account data involves technical, legal and cross-jurisdictional complexities. Officials, however, said that refusal to share even limited details in some cases raises serious security concerns, especially as cyber fraud continues to rise.