Meta-owned WhatsApp on Tuesday said it had banned more than 9.7 million accounts in India during February, of which 1.4 million were proactively banned prior to any user reports.

In its monthly Safety Report, the company highlighted the platform’s proactive measures in preventing abuse and promoting online safety, and said it has consistently invested in latest technologies and experts to keep users safe.

Actions taken

“Over the years, WhatsApp has consistently invested in artificial intelligence (AI) and other state-of-the-art technology, data scientists and experts, and in processes, in order to keep our users safe on our platform. In accordance with the IT Rules 2021, our latest published report outlines user complaints received, actions taken, and WhatsApp’s proactive approach to preventing abuse, including accounts that were proactively banned, before any reports from users,” a WhatsApp spokesperson said.

To help users keep their accounts safe and avoid accidental bans, the company also said it was important to use WhatsApp responsibly, and listed out ways to prevent user’s account from getting banned.

For instance, it said users should get permission from contacts before adding them to a group and if added to a group and a user removes himself/herself from the group, their decision should be honoured.

“If a contact asks you to stop messaging them, you should remove the contact from your address book and refrain from contacting them again. Don’t share phone numbers without consent or use data obtained from illicit sources to message users on WhatsApp,” it noted.

It also discouraged bulk messages, auto-message, or auto-dial using WhatsApp. WhatsApp uses both machine learning technology and reports from users to detect and ban accounts that send unwanted automated messages, it said.

“Also, don’t create accounts or groups in unauthorised or automated ways, or use modified versions of WhatsApp,” the company said.

It also warned the users to think twice before forwarding messages, using broadcast lists responsibly and not to violate WhatsApp’s Terms of Service.

Published on April 1, 2025