New Delhi: Social media major WhatsApp has informed the Union government that it has deployed artificial intelligence-based logo detection and media matching systems to identify and remove accounts impersonating law enforcement agencies. These accounts are used to threaten senior citizens with 'digital arrest' and rob them of their life savings.
Government Report Highlights
Attorney General R Venkataramani filed a status report on behalf of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), after an interdepartmental committee deliberated measures to curb 'digital arrest' scams. The committee included the Department of Telecom, Reserve Bank of India, Ministry of Information Technology, representatives of telecom service providers, and WhatsApp.
WhatsApp's Commitment
The statement from WhatsApp is significant as the encrypted messaging service has been used in various jurisdictions to avoid detection. The status report noted that WhatsApp will continue strengthening AI/ML-based systems to detect impersonation of law enforcement agencies and misuse of official logos. WhatsApp informed that detection models and warning mechanisms have been introduced to identify impersonation patterns and alert users in suspicious interactions.
The popular social media platform assured that it would undertake additional safeguards to detect and mitigate prolonged scam calls, as seen in digital arrest cases, and submit proposed technical measures within a month. WhatsApp further ensured cooperation with Law Enforcement Agencies and I4C, including timely action on shared signals related to scam networks, impersonation of law enforcement agencies, and fraudulent activities conducted through the platform.
Steps to Curb Scams
The status report detailed a series of steps under implementation, including biometric identity verification prior to issuance of SIM cards by all telecom service providers (TSPs) and a national database on SIM card holders of all TSPs. The Department of Telecom, in coordination with TSPs, will ensure that the technical system for national-level visibility of SIM issuance across operators is implemented within six months. The biometric identity verification system-based cross-operator SIM monitoring system will become operational within a total period of nine months, before December 2026.
In an important step to stop fake telemarketers and cybercriminals from using multiple SIMs, the Centre told the Supreme Court that TSPs have been asked to develop mechanisms to prevent misuse of multiple Point of Sale (PoS) identities by the same individual, including improved identity verification and PoS traceability measures.
