Banned 2 mn accounts in India: WhatsApp report on new IT rules
Darpan News Desk IANS, 15 Jul, 2021 11:01 AM
New Delhi, July 15 (IANS) Facebook-owned WhatsApp on Thursday filed its first monthly grievance redressal report as required under India's new IT norms, saying it banned two million accounts in India alone from the May 15-June 15 period attempting to send harmful or unwanted messages at scale.
More than 95 per cent of such bans are due to the unauthorised use of automated or bulk messaging, the company said in a statement.
In the report, released in line with the requirements of India's Intermediary Guidelines, 2021, WhatsApp said that user reports received by the platform via the grievance channels are evaluated and responded to.
"Our top focus is preventing accounts from sending harmful or unwanted messages at scale. We maintain advanced capabilities to identify these accounts sending a high or abnormal rate of messages," the company said.
"Majority of users who reach out to us are either aiming to have their account restored following an action to ban them or reaching out for product or account support," it added.
WhatsApp last week accepted that "the government is the administrator" in its case and informed the Delhi High Court that it will put its privacy policy update "on hold" until the Data Protection Bill came into force.
This is a significant development after the new Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw made it crystal clear within minutes of taking charge that "law of the land is supreme" and no one can afford to disrespect it.
WhatsApp's counsel also accepted that its commitment is "we need to fit in the law".
Facebook, Google and Twitter have already submitted their monthly compliance reports.
The government has worked on lighting these dark spots in the last three years, and the number of dark spots which were identified in another audit carried out by SafetiPin over January to May 2019 was 2,768 in number, he said.
Former East Bengal and Mohun Bagan defender R Dhanarajan died on Sunday night while playing a 'Sevens' football match at Perinthalmanna in Malappuram district.
The Twitter handle of PM Modi's personal website also had a message saying that the CAA is about giving citizenship to persecuted refugees and not about taking anyone's citizenship away.
"Prime Minister Varadkar's visit is entirely private.There are no official functions planned during his visit. Hewould be in Goa till January 1 alongwith his family," he said.
Self styled godman Baba Piara Singh Bhaniara Wala, whose 'dera' is situated at village Bhaniara near Nurpurbedi in this district passed away Monday morning, his close associates said. He was 61.
Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today said his government will not implement the CAA in Punjab and that the Congress will continue to fight it “tooth and nail”.
