Instant messaging platform WhatsApp on Wednesday said it banned 37.16 lakh accounts in India in November, about 60 percent more than the accounts it barred in the preceding month. The banned WhatsApp accounts in India include 9.9 lakh accounts which were barred proactively before being flagged by users. In October, WhatsApp had banned 23.24 lakh accounts in the country, including 8.11 lakh accounts which were barred proactively. “Between November 1, 2022 and November 30, 2022, 3,716,000 WhatsApp accounts were banned. 990,000 of these accounts were proactively banned, before any reports from users. An Indian account is identified via a +91 phone number,” WhatsApp said in its India Monthly Report for November published under the Information Technology Rules 2021. The tougher IT rules, which came into effect last year, mandate large digital platforms (with over 50 lakh users) to publish compliance reports every month, mentioning the details of complaints received and action taken. Big social media firms have drawn flak in the past over hate speech, misinformation and fake news circulating on their platforms. Concerns have …