The Indian government has initiated crucial discussions with messaging giant WhatsApp, following revelations that the platform bans an extraordinarily high volume of Indian accounts each month. This dialogue stems from growing concerns over the persistent misuse of Indian mobile numbers for online fraud and scams, with authorities highlighting a critical lack of transparency from the Meta-owned service.
Scale of Bans and the Transparency Gap
According to officials familiar with the matter, WhatsApp has been blocking an average of 9.8 million Indian accounts every month until October this year for violating its terms of service. While the platform publishes monthly compliance reports with these aggregate figures, the government has raised a significant issue: the reports do not include the specific mobile numbers linked to the banned accounts.
This absence of detailed data is severely hampering law enforcement's ability to track and investigate spam, financial scams, and cyber fraud networks. India, being WhatsApp's largest market, finds this opacity limiting. Officials stated that without access to the banned numbers, it is impossible to verify whether those numbers were issued legitimately or were obtained fraudulently.
The monthly ban figures for 2023, as cited in reports, are as follows:
- January: 9.9 million
- February: 9.7 million
- March: 11.1 million
- April: 9.7 million
- May: 11.2 million
- June: 9.8 million
- July: 8.9 million
- August: 8.2 million
- September: 10.0 million
- October: 9.1 million
Cross-Platform Fraud and Tracing Challenges
A major concern highlighted by authorities is the fluid movement of fraudsters across different Over-The-Top (OTT) messaging platforms. Numbers banned on WhatsApp frequently reappear on other apps, particularly Telegram, where they continue to be used for illicit activities.
The core of the problem lies in how these OTT apps function. Once an account is created using a mobile number, the app can operate independently of a physical SIM card. This makes it extremely difficult for enforcement agencies to trace the actual offenders, as the digital trail is disconnected from easy physical identification. Officials noted that a staggering 95% of digital arrest and impersonation scams are carried out using WhatsApp.
"There are concerns around how Indian numbers are being used (by fraudsters) and we are addressing those issues," one official was quoted as saying. "We have to balance convenience against security implications."
Government's Push for Accountability and Cooperation
The government's approach is two-fold. Firstly, it routinely directs WhatsApp and other digital platforms to block accounts involved in illegal activities. Data shows that nearly 2.9 million WhatsApp profiles and groups were taken down on government orders until November this year.
Secondly, and more critically for the current talks, authorities are pushing for proactive cooperation. They want WhatsApp to share basic information about the accounts it bans independently. "We don't want any private details of the person, just the numbers which have been banned, so that it can be checked if the number is genuine or not," an official explained. Tracing the issuance of a SIM and verifying its KYC details is central to curbing this fraud ecosystem.
Rakesh Maheshwari, former senior director at the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), emphasized that the purpose of the monthly reports was to enhance platform accountability. "The whole intent... was meant to bring in transparency and accountability of the platforms," he said. "Now, if there are certain revelations which require deeper introspection, the government has further right to seek more information."
WhatsApp, for its part, has stated that its account enforcement actions are based on behavioral signals indicating policy breaches. The company has also pointed to technical, legal, and cross-border challenges in sharing detailed account information, while underscoring that its end-to-end encryption protects user privacy.
As the discussions continue, the Indian government is also engaging with other OTT platforms to formulate a cohesive strategy against the misuse of Indian mobile numbers, a challenge that persists despite multiple enforcement measures.
