On Thursday, the tech giant Google launched a broad, multi-pronged effort to protect people from online harm through an array of new programs, initiatives, collaborations, and investments in India.
These efforts are taken towards the strengthening the collective capability of the country’s growing digital economy against cyber threats.
Google announced the launch of the following while unveiling these plans at the 2nd edition of its annual Safer with Google event held in New Delhi
A multi-city, mixed format Cybersecurity Roadshow to reach approximately 100,000 developers, IT and start-up professionals with unique tools, detailed guidance, and best practices on building safer apps by embedding security in all phases of development and adopting modern IT services will be started by Google.
To realize and support this initiative, a foundational cybersecurity curriculum will be integrated into the annual DevFest and within the Android and Cloud Series for startups and other programs.
Multi-lingual awareness campaign for transaction safety
Collaborating with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) and Digital India programme of the government, Google rolled out a pan-India, multilingual user awareness campaign with support from HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Airtel, SBI, and ICICI.
This campaign encourages people to stay two steps ahead to prevent the common frauds and phishing techniques and attacks.
Further awareness for these precautions shall be created by the campaign partners of Google. It will be through their most used consumer channels such as websites, apps, SMS and ATMs that this awareness will be created.
To expand digital safety skilling and support channels for high-risk communities, Google.org grants $2 million to nonprofits.
In order to reach over 900,000 people, Google.org is supplying a grant to Collective Good Foundation (CGF) especially with focus on women, LGBTQIA+ people and other vulnerable users, with a specially designed training curriculum and resources to safeguard themselves from online risks.
It will be in 5 languages that the curriculum and content will be available which include: English, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, and Marathi.
To support the expansion of TechSakhi, India’s first multi-lingual, omnichannel digital safety helpline for women and LGBTQIA+ internet users, google is also giving grants to Point of View.
TechSakhi will offer helpline support in Hindi, Bengali, Marathi and Tamil across six states including Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu.
To promote the same knowledge and skills in the elderly, Google.org will make a grant to HelpAge India to reach 50,000 senior citizens with digital safety training so that they can stay safe while making the online transactions.
Google Working With Different Organizations
ProtectingChildren.Google was launched by Google in 3 different Indian languages which include Bengali, Hindi, and Tamil. They have invited the Indian NGOs and other organisations to collaborate with it.
Google also mentioned that it already equips qualifying partners free of charge with its child safety toolkit, which consists of the Content Safety API and CSAI Match — two tools that enable its partners to better fight abusive content. It also said that its current global partners are using these technologies to collectively process billions of files each year, allowing them to evaluate millions of images and videos for abusive behaviour.
To scale the Be Internet Awesome program — a teacher training pilot launched in 2021, Google is also partnering with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), in order to educate more educators through a combination of webinars, Master Trainer programs, and in-person events with the aim to equip students to develop strong and safe digital habits.
In addition, Google is also joining hands with Sheroes, a women’s community platform, to offer a 10-part customised online safety video series for its members. Presently available in English and Hindi, this on-demand curriculum will focus on the fundamentals of online safety such as password protection, avoiding suspicious emails and unsafe sites, and other ways to stay safe online.