WhatsApp reported banning over 8.5 million accounts in India during September 2024, with 1,658,000 accounts being proactively banned before receiving user reports.

This action is part of WhatsApp’s monthly compliance under the IT Rules 2021, which mandates transparency in addressing grievances and user protection, IANS has reported.

The platform received 8,161 grievances from users in September and took action on 97 of them. Additionally, WhatsApp complied with two orders from India’s Grievance Appellate Committee.

WhatsApp states that it identifies abusive accounts through a three-stage detection system: during registration, throughout messaging activity, and in response to negative feedback. This system is reinforced by analysts who examine specific cases.

The Meta-owned platform emphasizes its commitment to user safety, facilitating options to block and report contacts, and working on misinformation, cybersecurity, and election integrity.

In August 2024, WhatsApp had banned 8,458,000 accounts, of which 1,661,000 were proactively restricted.