New Delhi. The government is preparing to take big action on WhatsApp in the matter of users’ privacy and international spam calls. The Union IT Ministry may soon send a notice to WhatsApp regarding this. Minister of State for Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar has given this information. He said that on the issue of spam calls from unknown international numbers, the Ministry of Information Technology will send a notice to WhatsApp. Let us tell you that many WhatsApp users in India have complained about receiving missed calls from unknown international numbers. However, WhatsApp has also given suggestions to the users to avoid these calls.
Minister of State for Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that digital platforms are responsible and accountable for ensuring the safety of ‘digital citizens’. The government will respond to each instance of alleged misuse or alleged violation of users’ privacy.
The Union minister’s statement comes at a time when WhatsApp users in India have complained of a huge increase in international spam calls they have been receiving over the past few days. Many users have also complained on Twitter. Users say that a large proportion of these spam calls had country codes belonging to Indonesia (+62), Vietnam (+84), Malaysia (+60), Kenya (+254) and Ethiopia (+251).
What did WhatsApp say?
WhatsApp has advised users to be vigilant to avoid spam calls. WhatsApp said that blocking and reporting suspicious messages and calls is the most effective way to avoid spam and fraud. Users should block and report calls from unknown international or domestic phone numbers.
Users are also advised to take advantage of the app’s privacy controls and limit personal information to only your contacts to help protect your account. Let us tell you that recently WhatsApp has blocked 4.7 million accounts for similar spam.
WhatsApp says that we have rapidly enhanced our AI and ML systems to significantly reduce such incidents. Our new change will reduce the current calling rate by at least 50% and we expect to effectively control the current incidents. We will continue to work hard to ensure a safe and secure experience for our users.
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