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WhatsApp Bans 2.39 Million Users in India
WhatsApp in India has banned 2.39 million users in July, the highest so far this year, the Meta-owned instant messaging app said in a monthly compliance report.
Strict IT laws in India have made it necessary for large digital platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook to publish compliance reports every month.
Rules drafted by the Government of India circulated in June proposed setting up a panel to hear user appeals. The draft stipulates that social media messaging platforms shall allow for the identification of the first source of information, if ordered by a court.
It is estimated that 1.42 million accounts were banned proactively, without any user reporting.
The social media platform said several WhatsApp for business accounts were banned based on complaints received via the grievances channel and the tools and resources it uses to detect such violations. WhatsApp received only 574 complaints in July.
There were 2.21 million accounts taken down in India in June by WhatsApp, which has been criticized in the past for spreading fake news and hate speech.
Meanwhile, a warning has been issued to WhatsApp users that they may be banned from using the messaging app from October onward.
According to a recent media report, the Instant Messaging app will prevent users who carry an older iPhone device from using the app starting in October, 2022.
Some users have already begun the process, as they have received alerts asking for an iPhone update. Among the devices most likely to be affected are iPhone 5s and iPhone 5.
It should be noted that iOS 10 and 11 are not widely used on iPhone’s. Meta Inc has previously declared that iPhone users will have to use iOS 12 or a newer software version to continue using WhatsApp messages.”
According to the report, Android users will need to run a software update and upgrade to 4.1 or newer.
