Vaishnaw said these mobile numbers had been registered either using forged documents or had been used for cybercrime in some form.
“All the OTT platforms have also co-operated, and they are absolutely onboard to de-register the users detected as fraud numbers. This means that any WhatsApp account related to these numbers will be taken offline by the platform,” Vaishnaw said.
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The government is also in talks with other messaging and OTT calling apps to implement the same measures and de-register users who have been reported for fraud, Vaishnaw said.
A WhatsApp spokesperson said that the platform was “actively engaging with the government to consistently ensure a safe and secure user experience, including weeding out bad actors from the platform.”
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“WhatsApp is a leader among end-to-end encrypted services in protecting user safety and we continue to provide several in-built safety tools like block & report, two-step verification, among others, along with regularly driving user safety education and awareness,” a spokesperson for the company said.
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