WhatsApp Banned 71 Lakh Accounts Recently; Why Could it Happen Again?

In November 2023, the Facebook-owned instant messaging service WhatsApp blocked over 71 lakh accounts in India. Following the updated IT Regulations 2021, the corporation banned the accounts.

WhatsApp suspended 71,96,000 accounts from November 1–30. According to WhatsApp's monthly compliance report, 19,54,000 of these accounts were proactively removed before any users reported them. More than 71 lakh accounts were suspended by the corporation in October. The business suspended 75 lakh accounts in September. The total number of blocked accounts was around 74 lakh as of August 2023.

What are WhatsApp's criteria for restricting or banning accounts?

The business states on its page that "We ban accounts if we believe the account's activity violates our terms of use, such as spam, fraud, or if it threatens the security of WhatsApp users." In the nation, WhatsApp has over 500 million users.

The company says it received a record 8,841 complaint reports in India in November, six of which have data shared, which means WhatsApp has taken corrective action based on the report, and action means either blocking the account or restoring the previously blocked account as a result.

According to the firm, this user security report contains details regarding user complaints that WhatsApp has received, the actions that the company has taken in response, and the preventative steps that WhatsApp takes to stop platform misuse.

WhatsApp's end-to-end security

"We are a leader in preventing and combating abuse in end-to-end encrypted messaging services. In addition to our security functions and management functions, we employ a team of engineers, data scientists, analysts, researchers, and experts in law enforcement, network security and technology development to oversee these activities, “WhatsApp said.

Throughout the year, WhatsApp has been adding security features to improve user safety and privacy. As of right now, the app offers end-to-end encryption, chat lock, and the ability to mute unfamiliar numbers, making it a private and secure cross-platform messaging tool.