WhatsApp bans over 8.5 million accounts in Sept, 33 reinstated: Report

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Whatsapp banned around 8,584,000 accounts in the month of September, the online messaging platform said in its latest report released on November 1. Additionally, the platform took action on 33 accounts after users appealed their bans. The report highlights the platform's ongoing efforts to curb misuse and enhance user trust, especially in India, where digital safety remains a priority. The platform has reportedly banned millions of accounts in the country every month, many before even user complaints can be filed.

 

Over 8,000 grievance complaints received in Sept

WhatsApp received 8,161 complaints in September, which included 3,744 ban appeals, with action taken on 33 accounts. Among other categories, 3,196 were support-related grievances, with 61 accounts actioned. Safety-related complaints totaled 870, account support 238, and product support 113.

 

Despite the large number of safety-related complaints, WhatsApp said that it did not directly act on any of the accounts based solely on these issues. Instead, the platform advised users to leverage its in-app reporting tools to flag any harmful behaviour they encountered.

 

Whatsapp bans millions of accounts every month

Between September 1 and September 30, WhatsApp banned 8,584,000 accounts, with 1,658,000 of these proactively banned before any user complaints. During September last year 7.1 million accounts were banned in India.

 

In August, WhatsApp banned 8.46 million accounts, of which 1.66 million proactively banned. The platform received 10,707 grievance reports that month, including 4,788 ban appeals, with action taken on 15 accounts. In July, bans totaled 6.1 million accounts, with 1.09 million proactive bans. July witnessed a significant 34,650 grievances, of which 20,811 were ban appeals, however action was taken on only 11 of these accounts.

 

The Meta-owned platform added that it addressed two orders from the Grievance Appellate Committee in September.

 

The statistics indicate a significant and increasing volume of accounts in India engaging in activities that violate WhatsApp's policies. Between July and September, the number of banned accounts rose from 6.1 million to 8.58 million, reflecting a growing prevalence of harmful behaviour on the platform.

 

Additionally, the minimal actions taken in response to the banned accounts highlights the widespread nature of harmful activities and the challenges in addressing them.