Online Scams Menace: WhatsApp banned over 71 lakh accounts in India in November

WhatsApp has revealed that it banned 71 lakh accounts in India in the month of November 2023. The rise in online scams, especially via WhatsApp, can be one of the contributing factors that led to the banning of over 71 lakh accounts by the messaging platform in India during November. This action was taken in compliance with the new IT Rules 2021. The company also proactively banned 19,54,000 accounts from November 1 to 30, even before any user reports were received. Being the largest messaging platform in India with over 500 million users, WhatsApp received 8,841 complaint reports in November.

The term 'accounts actioned' refers to the corrective measures taken by WhatsApp, which may include banning or reinstating accounts. In addition to this, the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) was introduced by the Centre to address concerns raised by millions of Indian social media users.

WhatsApp also has a dedicated team of professionals to prevent and combat abuse. In another development, Android users of WhatsApp will no longer be able to backup their chats for free, a service provided by Google for years. Henceforth, these backups will contribute to users' Google Drive storage limits, requiring them to consider investing in additional storage via WhatsApp with Google One.

This move aligns Android practices with iPhone's iCloud storage limitations. Google One, associated with Google Drive, provides three main subscription plans on a monthly or annual basis.

Also read: WhatsApp new username feature: Here’s how users will be able to connect with others without disclosing their phone number

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