Excessive-level committee assembly: Govt asks WhatsApp to dam machine IDs utilized in digital arrest scams | India Information
Blocking machine IDs involved in instances of digital arrestintroducing security options much like these on Skype, and strengthening know-how to detect and block dangerous APKs, the file codecs utilized in Android programs.
These are a few of the key measures WhatsApp has been requested to implement by a high-level Inter-Departmental Committee (IDC) constituted by the Union House Ministry to deal with the menace of digital arresttogether with the impersonation of legislation enforcement officers to perpetrate the rip-off, The Indian Categorical has learnt.
Sources stated that the Meta-owned messaging service has agreed to implement these measures and is already within the strategy of putting in a few of them. It’s learnt that the interplay with representatives of WhatsApp passed off earlier this month through the third assembly of the IDC, which was constituted in December 2025.
Based on officers, the representatives made in depth submissions relating to the platform’s detection mechanisms, enforcement actions and platform safeguards through the assembly. “Based mostly on the deliberations, the platform agreed to a number of commitments which can be aimed toward bettering consumer safety and aiding legislation enforcement investigations,” a senior Authorities official stated.
Sources stated the important thing measures mentioned embrace:
- Assessing the feasibility of figuring out and blocking machine IDs concerned in digital arrest scams to forestall repeat offenders from creating new accounts.
- Exploring protecting options much like these deployed by Skype.
- Making certain retention of consumer knowledge from deleted accounts for a minimum of 180 days, as mandated by the IT Guidelines, 2021, to help legislation enforcement investigations.
- Strengthening technological mechanisms to detect and block dangerous APKs, and related content material.
- Increasing AI and machine studying programs to detect impersonation, abuse of official logos and artificial or AI-generated content material.
To forestall using logos and official insignia of legislation enforcement companies, such Delhi Police, mumbai Police, CBI and ATS, WhatsApp can be learnt to have conveyed through the assembly that it has deployed brand detection and media matching programs that may examine profile images and take away accounts engaged in impersonation.
The Union House Ministry and Meta didn’t reply to requests for remark from The Indian Categorical.
Based on the official, the representatives of WhatsApp conveyed that the platform is introducing a number of security options much like these on Skype, which is Microsoft’s video-calling platform: extra data on callers, warning alerts for suspicious accounts and higher detection of rip-off networks. WhatsApp has been requested to current a proposal on these measures inside 30 days, the official stated.
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The platform has additionally been requested to submit a separate proposal inside 45 days on the introduction of mechanisms to dam machine IDs concerned in digital arrests, the official stated.
“In a bid to curb the unfold of malicious information, WhatsApp has been requested to strengthen its technological mechanisms to detect and block dangerous APKs and related content material. They’ve been requested to develop safeguards to establish and mitigate extended rip-off calls generally seen in digital arrest instances, with proposed technical measures anticipated inside a month,” the official stated.
“The corporate assured the IDC that it continues to broaden its AI and machine studying programs to detect impersonation, abuse of official logos, and artificial or AI-generated content material, with periodic progress updates to be shared going ahead,” the official stated.
In typical digital arrest scams, fraudsters impersonate legislation enforcement officers on video calls with victims, declare that they’re being investigated for critical crimes and coerce them to switch massive sums to varied financial institution accounts to keep away from arrest.
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In June 2025, an investigation by The Indian Categorical uncovered how these scamsters transfer crores of rupees in minutes throughout banks and state borders utilizing and reusing mule accounts, or third-party accounts, that are troublesome to hint. This newspaper additionally reported that 1.23 lakh instances of digital arrest, involving Rs 1,935 crore, had been logged in 2024 — nearly thrice the quantity recorded in 2022.
With practically Rs 3,000 crore estimated to have been misplaced to digital arrest scams total, the Supreme Court docket took suo motu cognizance of the menace final October whereas expressing “grave concern” over the rising instances.
On November 28 final 12 months, the Division of Telecommunications (DoT) issued a directive requiring application-based communication companies, together with WhatsApp, Telegram, Sign and Snapchat, to implement lively SIM linkage for consumer entry.
Throughout the three-hour-long IDC assembly this month, the representatives of WhatsApp conveyed that they might implement the DoT directive inside four-six months and submit an Motion Taken Report (ATR), seemingly by March-end.
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“This measure, referred to as SIM binding, mandates that these platforms can solely be used with a selected, lively SIM card, successfully eliminating nameless or multi-device utilization. The directive goals to strengthen consumer traceability and improve compliance with nationwide safety and knowledge safety norms,” the official stated.
“WhatsApp can even improve its cooperation with investigative companies, guaranteeing well timed response to flagged alerts regarding fraud networks, impersonation of legislation enforcement officers, and misuse of presidency symbols. The platform additionally dedicated to complying with up to date IT Guidelines provisions associated to identification and labelling of synthetically generated data, which is a rising concern in instances involving AI-generated or deep pretend video calls utilized in digital extortion makes an attempt,” the official stated.
