Spam calls from foreign numbers; WhatsApp to use AI to block spammers

Recently, Indian users have reported a massive increase in incoming international spam calls on WhatsApp. Several users have complained of receiving many calls and messages with country codes belonging to Indonesia (+62), Vietnam (+84), Malaysia (+60), Kenya (+254) and Ethiopia (+251). Acknowledging the problem, the Meta-owned platform announced Thursday that it is implementing artificial intelligence and machine learning systems to curb spam incidents and "remove bad actors" from the platform.

In its official statement, WhatsApp said: "We have ramped up our AI & ML systems... Our new enforcement will reduce the current calling rate by at least 50 per cent 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 WhatsApp announcement followed the recent call from the Indian government on the issue. The IT Ministry said that digital platforms must ensure the security of "digital nagriks" and are responsible for any alleged misuse or violation of users' privacy. The ministry also said that the government would address all such cases.

IT State Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar told reporters on Tuesday that spam calls on WhatsApp were a concern for the government. "The Ministry is taking note; they are going to send them (WhatsApp) a notice," he said.

The minister also wondered how scammers and spammers obtained WhatsApp user numbers from India. "How are they able to identify which numbers are on WhatsApp? Are they doing it blindly? Is it some database they have got? If there is a database, it is a violation of privacy, or if not, they are doing it through a bot (by) sending messages to random numbers. (This) is certainly something platforms will be asked to look at,"

In response to concerns from the Indian government, WhatsApp said it would implement AI and ML systems to weed out spam and uncover scammers. These systems can identify spam messages and block them before they reach users.

What is the AI and ML system, and how will it identify spam?

WhatsApp says it is using AI to identify spam messages. AI systems can identify patterns in spam messages, like using certain keywords or phrases. This allows WhatsApp to block spam messages before they reach users.

The company says that the machine learning or ML system will help the platform improve the accuracy of its spam filtering system. ML systems can learn from past data to improve their accuracy over time. This means WhatsApp's spam filtering system will better identify spam messages as more data is collected.

Besides the AI and ML systems, WhatsApp is also taking other measures to tackle spam. These steps include:

Educate users about spam: WhatsApp is trying to educate users about spam messages and how to identify them.

Make it easy to report spam: WhatsApp has made it easy for users to report spam messages. Now users can report spam messages directly from the app.

Improving the spam filtering system: WhatsApp constantly enhances its spam filtering system. This includes using ML and AI to identify spam messages more accurately.

Earlier, in a statement, WhatsApp revealed that "blocking and Reporting suspicious messages/calls is a crucial step to effectively combat scams, and when users receive calls from unknown domestic or international phone numbers, WhatsApp offers a convenient way to block and report suspicious accounts.

Users can report any number by opening the number's chat > tap more > report or block.