Meta’s latest transparency report, released on February 1, 2025, reveals that WhatsApp took action against 9.08 million (9,089,000) accounts between December 1 and 31, 2024. Of these, 1.3 million (1,300,000) were banned before receiving any user complaints. This marks a slight decline compared to the 9.6 million accounts banned in November 2024. The report, published in accordance with Rule 4(1)(d) and Rule 3A(7) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, provides insights into various grievance redressal measures.
Compliance with Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) Orders
During December 2024, WhatsApp complied with all three orders issued by the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC). As per the amended IT Rules, 2021, the GAC serves as the final authority for users seeking resolution of grievances. Its decisions are binding on platforms that wish to maintain their safe harbour protections under Section 79 of the IT Act. However, the details of these orders were not disclosed.
User Complaints and Actions Taken
The report also highlights that WhatsApp received 6,750 user grievances in December, including 2,637 ban appeals. In response, the platform took action on 48 reported accounts, which involved either banning or reinstating them.
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Why Monitoring WhatsApp Bans is Important
A recent report from India’s Home Ministry, as cited by The Hindu, highlights WhatsApp as a significant platform for cyber fraud and scams. In the first quarter of 2024 alone, authorities received 43,797 complaints related to cyber fraud on the platform.
Regular monitoring of banned accounts helps evaluate WhatsApp’s accountability and the effectiveness of regulatory measures in curbing misuse.