Banned over 36 lakh Indian accounts in December 2022: WhatsApp

Of these, more than 13 lakh accounts faced action proactively, before reports from users reported by users, said the Meta-owned platform.

As many as 36.77 lakh WhatsApp accounts were banned in India in December last year, with the number being marginally lower than for those that faced action (37.16 lakh) in the preceding month.

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“Between 1 December, 2022, and 31 December, 2022, as many as 36,77,000 accounts were banned. 13,89,000 of these were proactively banned, before any reports from users,” said WhatsApp.

It further said that in December, it received 1,607 appeals from users, a jump of 70% from the 946 complaints made to it in the previous month. Of these 1,607 complaints, 1,459 (91%) sought blocking of accounts, it added.

On the other hand, in November 2022, the number of accounts banned proactively, stood at 90,000.

The Meta-owned platform disclosed the December 2022 figures in its India Monthly Report. Under the country's Information Technology Rules 2021, digital platforms operating here are required to publish monthly compliance reports, mentioning the details of complaints received, and action taken on them.

WhatsApp has more than 2 billion users worldwide, with India being one of its largest user base. In February 2021, the Government of India said WhatsApp is used by more than 53 crore Indians, making it the most used social media service in the country.

(With PTI inputs)