BANNED 2 MN ACCOUNTS IN INDIA: WHATSAPP
NEW DELHI: Whatsapp blocked at least 2 million accounts in India from May 15 to June 15, a compliance report released by the Facebook-owned messaging app said. The accounts were blocked using automated technology. The app blocks around 8 million accounts a month around the world. In the period between May 15 and June 15, the company received 345 complaints from India, where it has 530 million users.
NEW DELHI: Whatsapp blocked at least two million accounts in India from May 15 to June 15, a compliance report released by the Facebook-owned messaging platform said.
The accounts were blocked using automated technology. It blocks eight million accounts a month around the world.
In the period between May 15 and June 15, the company received 345 complaints from India, where it has 530 million users. These included 70 cases of account support, wherein users reported problems regarding their accounts, but took action against none; 204 cases appealing the fact that their accounts were blocked (it acted against 63); and 20 issues of other support. There were also 43 cases of product support, referring to product services such as payments offered by the company, involving eight safety issues that were flagged. Overall, of the 345 complaints Whatsapp received, it acted against 63 accounts from May 15 to June 15.
The company has challenged the traceability clause of the social media and intermediary guidelines, which also mandate it to publish a monthly grievance compliance report. This is the first such report Whatsapp has published for India. Whatsapp is now the fourth company after Google, Facebook and Twitter to publish the report and appoint officers in keeping with the new guidelines.
“We are an industry leader among end-to-end encrypted messaging services in preventing and combating abuse,” Whatsapp said in its report. “In addition to our safety features and controls, we employ a team of engineers, data scientists, analysts, researchers, and experts in law enforcement, online safety, and technology developments to oversee these efforts. We enable users to block contacts and to report problematic content and contacts to us from inside the app. We pay close attention to user feedback and engage with specialists in stemming misinformation, promoting cybersecurity, and preserving election integrity.”
A person familiar with Whatsapp’s compliance efforts said on condition of anonymity that automated take down of accounts happens using a range of behavioral signals, such as mass broadcasts and without breaking end to end encryption. “Even though Whatsapp is an encrypted platform, it takes action against accounts based on automated tools as it is committed to ensuring safety of its users,” the person said.
Kazim Rizvi, founder, policy think tank, The Dialogue, said, “...Whatsapp utilises AI technology to detect behaviour of users. For instance, if 100 messages are sent to unknown contacts within 15 seconds of registration, the platform may block the user. The technology keeps learning from such instances of blocking and then prevents abuse by blocking users if it can predict the same through signals and patterns. For instance, behavioural cues like bulk registration along with data points like IP Address help in detecting instances at registration itself.
IN ITS GRIEVANCE COMPLIANCE REPORT, WHATSAPP SAID IT ACTED AGAINST 63 ACCOUNTS FROM MAY 15 TO JUNE 15 OUT OF THE 345 COMPLAINTS IT RECEIVED