WhatsApp Cracks Down: 6.5M Indian Accounts Banned in Major Safety Move

This story was first published on the Benzinga India Portal.

WhatsApp, the popular instant messaging platform owned by Meta Platforms Inc META, announced that it had taken action against over 6.5 million troublesome accounts in India in May. This action aligns with the new IT Rules 2021. Interestingly, WhatsApp proactively banned 2.42 million of these accounts before receiving any user reports from India.

What Happened? The messaging giant, with a user base of over 500 million in India, reported banning over 7.4 million problematic accounts in April. In May, WhatsApp received 3,912 reports related to grievances, including “ban appeals.” Out of these, they addressed 297 cases and took appropriate action.

The term “Accounts Actioned” denotes instances where WhatsApp either banned an account or reinstated a previously banned one. Essentially, it marks times when WhatsApp took remedial action based on received reports.

See also: How To Silence Unknown Callers On Whatsapp

WhatsApp’s report on user safety presents information about user complaints received, the action WhatsApp took in response, and the proactive steps the platform took to combat abuse.

In other news, WhatsApp has also begun introducing QR code chat transfer support for its users. This feature lets users transfer their chats from one device to another and comes in handy when switching from an old to a new phone. However, this feature only works if both devices use the same operating system.

Read next: WhatsApp To Deregister Fraudulent Users Amid International Spam Call Menace