An IANS report states that in adherence to the new IT Rules 2021, WhatsApp disclosed on Monday that it has imposed a record-breaking ban on over 71 lakh dubious accounts in India throughout November 2023.
In 2023, cases of online scams made a lot of headlines and in most of these cases, fraudsters had contacted their victims using WhatsApp. The cases of scams reached such heights that even the Indian government had to step in and ask the company to take action.
As per latest reports, WhatsApp banned over 71 lakh accounts in India in the month of November 2023.
An IANS report states that in adherence to the new IT Rules 2021, WhatsApp disclosed on Monday that it has imposed a record-breaking ban on over 71 lakh dubious accounts in India throughout November 2023. Within the period from November 1 to November 30, the company proactively banned 19,54,000 accounts even before receiving any user reports, as detailed in its monthly compliance report.
The report added that being the most widely used messaging platform with a user base exceeding 500 million in India, WhatsApp handled 8,841 complaint reports during November. The term "accounts actioned" refers to instances where WhatsApp took corrective measures based on these reports. This could involve either banning an account or reinstating a previously banned account as a result of the action taken.
WhatsApp's user-safety report also shared insights into the user complaints received, along with the corresponding actions taken by the platform. Additionally, it outlined WhatsApp's own preventive measures aimed at curbing abuse on its platform. In accordance with these efforts, the Centre introduced the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) to address concerns raised by millions of Indian social media users regarding content and other issues.
The newly established panel will handle appeals from users contesting decisions made by social media platforms. WhatsApp also emphasised its commitment to preventing and combating abuse. The company relies on a dedicated team of professionals, including engineers, data scientists, analysts, researchers, and experts in law enforcement, online safety, and technology development to oversee and reinforce these efforts.
On a related note, this year will mark a huge change for WhatsApp users on Android as they will no longer be able to backup their chats for free.
For years, Google has provided users with the convenience of backing up their WhatsApp conversations on Google Drive without denting their precious 15GB of free data allowance. But all that is about to change this year.
It was earlier announced that in the first half of this year, these WhatsApp chat backups will start contributing to users' Google Drive storage limits, impacting those relying on the free 15GB quota. This alteration means that people who have been relying on Google Drive to safeguard their valuable memories and conversations will now need to consider investing in additional storage through WhatsApp with Google One.
This strategic move aligns Android practices with the storage limitations already present in iPhone's iCloud. Google One, the term for subscription plans associated with Google Drive, offers three main plans on a monthly or annual basis. 🔄📱💬
