WhatsApp is cracking down on international scam calls after India’s IT ministry takes notice

• WhatsApp is cracking down on international scam calls to Indian users.
• This comes after minister of state for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the ministry will send a notice to WhatsApp.
• WhatsApp, which has over 500 million users in India, is employing AI and ML to reduce spam calls.

Popular messaging app WhatsApp is cracking the whip on international scam calls after Minister of State for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that the ministry will send a notice to WhatsApp over the issue.

Over the past few weeks, there has been a significant increase in Indian WhatsApp users receiving spam calls from international numbers. WhatsApp has over 500 million users in India.

“The Ministry is taking note of it, they will send them a notice. I have said repeatedly that openness, trust, safety and accountability are the responsibility of platforms who deliver to digital nagriks,” said Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for IT at an event.

The Meta-owned platform has now issued a statement saying it is aligned with the government in keeping users safe.

"Protecting the privacy and security of users is fundamental to Meta and to WhatsApp. Our users are at the heart of everything we do and we are fully aligned with the Government's goal of keeping users safe. WhatsApp is a leader among end-to-end encrypted services in protecting user safety,” a WhatsApp spokesperson said in a statement.

“International scam calls is a new way that bad actors have recently adopted. By giving a missed call, they lead curious users to call or message back only to get scammed,” the spokesperson said.

WhatsApp to use AI and ML to fight international spam calls

WhatsApp has said that it already offers tools like block and report that helps users prevent scammers from contacting them again. Amid an increase in international spam calls, WhatsApp is taking help of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).

The company has claimed that the revamped systems will be able to reduce the spam call rates by at least 50%. This means that a significant number of users may still receive spam calls for now.

“Therefore, we have quickly ramped up our AI & ML systems to bring down such incidents significantly. Our new enforcement will reduce the current calling rate by at least 50% and we expect to be able to control the current incidence effectively. We will continue to work relentlessly towards ensuring a safe experience for our users,” the spokesperson added.

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