New Delhi: Meta-owned WhatsApp announced on Saturday that it banned over 7.1 million accounts in India during April for violating local laws.
Of the 7,182,000 accounts banned, 1,302,000 were proactively blocked before any user reports, the social media company stated.
WhatsApp, which boasts over 550 million users in India, received 10,554 grievances from the country, of which only six resulted in action. “Actioned” accounts refer to cases where WhatsApp took remedial action.
Additionally, WhatsApp received two orders from the Grievance Appellate Committee in India and complied with both, according to its monthly compliance report in accordance with the new Indian IT Rules 2021.
“We will continue to maintain transparency in our operations and will include information about our efforts in future reports,” the company stated.
In March, WhatsApp banned over 7.9 million accounts in India. During that month, the platform received a record 12,782 complaint reports, with 11 resulting in action.
The company employs a team of engineers, data scientists, analysts, researchers, and experts in law enforcement, online safety, and technology development to oversee these efforts.
“We enable users to block contacts and report problematic content and contacts directly from the app. We pay close attention to user feedback and engage with specialists to combat misinformation, promote cybersecurity, and preserve election integrity,” WhatsApp stated.
