New Delhi: In a sweeping crackdown on digital abuse and policy violations, over 98 lakh WhatsApp accounts were banned across India in June 2025, according to the platform’s latest compliance report filed under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
The Meta-owned messaging giant disclosed that 19.79 lakh accounts were proactively removed even before any user complaints were filed. These bans were the result of automated systems designed to detect suspicious activity at various stages of usage right from account creation to message behavior and user feedback.
The report reflects the company's evolving efforts to curb misuse of the platform, which is widely used for both personal and business communication across India. The grievance redressal mechanism received 23,596 complaints from users during the month, out of which action was taken on 1,001 accounts. This includes either banning accounts found guilty or reinstating previously banned accounts found to be wrongly removed.
In addition, WhatsApp processed 16,069 appeals, with action taken against 756 accounts. The remaining complaints were categorized under issues like account support, product support, and security concerns.
WhatsApp emphasized the importance of its proactive detection system, stating that preemptively identifying violative behavior is more effective than waiting for reports to be filed. The system analyzes behavioral signals in three core phases:
• During account setup, when anomalies like fake identities or bots may be flagged.
• While messaging, where patterns of spam or abusive content can trigger bans.
• And in reaction to user reports, where consistent negative feedback often leads to intervention.
This massive account ban tally underscores the platform’s stringent enforcement of its policies in one of its largest user bases globally. With India’s ever-expanding digital ecosystem, platforms like WhatsApp are under increasing pressure to uphold user safety, prevent misinformation, and comply with national regulations.
As regulatory scrutiny intensifies, such transparency reports are becoming vital in measuring the accountability of digital intermediaries operating in India’s vast cyberspace.