WhatsApp Tests Age Verification; Some Users Report Accounts Under Review

Meta-owned WhatsApp is testing privacy-protective ways to verify users’ age ahead of the rollout of India’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, which is set to come into force in May next year.

“To comply with upcoming laws in India like the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, we are testing privacy-protective ways for people to confirm their age,” a WhatsApp spokesperson said.

Earlier this week, several social media users claimed they received a prompt on WhatsApp asking them to add their date of birth to their profile to comply with upcoming Indian regulations.

WhatsApp clarified that only a limited set of users received the prompt as part of an ongoing test and that providing the information remains optional. The company added that it will process the information in line with its privacy commitments and will not make it visible to other users.

The development was first reported by technology newsletter ‘TheTechTrace’.

Notably, the DPDP Act does not mandate users to verify their age or require minors to disclose it. Instead, the law requires platforms to obtain verifiable parental or guardian consent before processing the personal data of children and exercise due diligence to establish the age of users and the authority of those providing consent.

Platforms can fulfil these obligations using reliable age or identity information already available with them or through information voluntarily provided via authorised entities.

Separately, several WhatsApp users reported yesterday that their accounts were placed under review without prior notice.

Affected users received a notification stating, “Account in review. Date requested: 3 Aug 2026. Your account activity and device info is being checked to make sure it follows our terms of service. We will notify you of the result typically within 24 hours.”

Several users claimed the temporary suspension disrupted their work. While WhatsApp acknowledged the issue, it did not specify what triggered the reviews, whether they were linked to a particular policy violation, or if users in specific regions were affected.

“We are always working to stay ahead of those trying to abuse our service and ban accounts to help keep other users safe. Sometimes we get this wrong and if we do, we try to fix it as quickly as possible to get people back to chatting,” PTI quoted a WhatsApp spokesperson as saying.

Meta Under The Scanner In India

Meta has come under increased regulatory scrutiny in India over its handling of content moderation during recent student protests in the national capital.

Last week, Meta India vice president and head Arun Srinivas was named in an FIR filed in Hyderabad over allegedly objectionable content circulated on the company’s platforms. The FIR also named operators of multiple Facebook and Instagram accounts accused of sharing morphed content targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The case followed another controversy in which Facebook temporarily removed a video posted by PM Modi. Meta later restored the post, attributing the takedown to an error in its AI-powered content moderation system.

According to PTI, Meta told the IT ministry that such posts will now undergo additional oversight and require approval from at least two senior executives before any moderation decision is taken. The company also expressed regret over the incident and outlined corrective measures.

Separately, the IT ministry earlier this month asked WhatsApp to pause the rollout of its username feature in India over concerns that usernames resembling those of individuals, financial institutions or government agencies could enable impersonation, phishing and online fraud.

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