WhatsApp's latest compliance report shows that it blocked over 1.7 million accounts in the month of November. During that period, the app also received 602 user grievances through its grievance officer who has been appointed in accordance with the IT Rules. WhatsApp takes action against problematic accounts for violating Indian law and its own community guidelines, according to the report. Under the Information Technology (IT) Rules, 2021, WhatsApp has to publish monthly compliance reports showing the number of grievances it received, the content it took down, and other details. WhatsApp has become a medium for fake news leading to several instances of communal violence in India. The platform's compliance reports indicate the amount of such content and how it is being moderated. How WhatsApp knew which accounts to ban The report revealed that exactly 1,759,000 accounts were banned by WhatsApp in November. The platforms said that it detected these accounts at registration, during messaging, and in response to negative feedback like user reports and blocks. This figure is lower than the corresponding number for October (2,069,000 accounts banned). Grievance officer restored 36 WhatsApp accounts The number of user grievances/reports (602) sent to WhatsApp increased from October when it received 500 grievances. Out of the grievances registered in November, WhatsApp acted on 36 of them, all of which were appeals from users to lift the ban on their accounts. User grievances are categorised under various topics such as 'safety' which relates to grievances 'that may be about abuse or harmful behaviour…
